Proposal to review health insurance payment period to enjoy benefits

Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - spoke at the workshop to contribute ideas to the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance - Photo: THU HIEN

On September 30, the Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly Delegation held a workshop to provide comments on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance.

Enjoy benefits according to health insurance payment period

Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital representative said that with health insurance, some people pay for many years, some pay for a few years, leading to many people complaining that they have paid for a long time but when they get sick, they receive the same benefits as those who have just paid.

Therefore, health insurance should consider each person's payment period, such as payment period of 5 - 10 years, or more, to enjoy higher health insurance costs.

Besides, many people working in enterprises and the government are able to pay higher health insurance premiums than the regulations, so should health insurance create conditions for them to pay higher premiums so that they can receive more benefits?

In addition, health insurance appraisal for payment of medical examination and treatment is often based on the Ministry of Health's protocol, but some protocols have not been updated with new protocols, so health insurance needs to be reviewed.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - said that it is necessary to add health insurance payment when transferring medicine and supplies between medical facilities to meet the needs of medical examination and treatment in emergency conditions.

The Ho Chi Minh City health sector has created an application to look up emergency medicine between medical facilities to contact and use medicine in difficult situations, promptly treating patients.

Mr. Dung also proposed that health insurance cover emergency cases outside the hospital.

Currently, the 115 Emergency System has covered the whole country, and health insurance payment is a necessary need. Cases of cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, stroke, and accidents need to be paid for by health insurance for the sustainable development of the emergency system.

There must be health insurance for disadvantaged groups.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance - proposed to supplement the elderly aged 60 and over with health insurance supported by the state budget. Currently, the elderly aged 80 and over are entitled to monthly allowances and health insurance cards.

However, the group from 60 to under 80 years old is a vulnerable group of society that needs attention, so they need to be supported with health insurance cards to reduce financial burden and disease risks.

According to statistics, there are currently about 17 million elderly people, of which more than 14 million have participated in health insurance, while about 2.4 million elderly people under 80 years old are in vulnerable groups and have not participated in health insurance.

Ho Chi Minh City does not have a policy for the elderly aged 60 and over to be granted health insurance cards. Some localities have supported the issuance of cards for this group from local budget sources.

Ms. Hang also said that every year, about 300,000 people escape poverty, and proposed that the state budget support paying at least 70% of health insurance for households that have just escaped near poverty.

Ms. Phan Nguyen Thanh Van - Vice Principal of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine - suggested that the group of freelance workers should let them participate in health insurance as a household at their place of permanent or temporary residence. If they go back to their place of permanent residence to register, they will encounter many difficulties.

The draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance is attracting much attention and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for comments and approval at the 8th session (October 2024).

The Law amends and supplements 40 articles on health insurance participants, payment responsibilities, benefits, scope of benefits, health insurance medical examination and treatment organization, fund management and some technical regulations...

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-xuat-xem-xet-thoi-gian-dong-bao-hiem-y-te-de-huong-quyen-loi-20240930151715391.htm