Latest regulations on medical examination and treatment service prices under health insurance

Deputy Minister of Health Le Duc Luan has just signed and issued Circular 22 regulating the unification of prices for medical examination and treatment services covered by health insurance among hospitals of the same rank nationwide and providing guidance on the application of prices and payment of medical examination and treatment costs in some cases.

Quy định về giá dịch vụ khám chữa bệnh bảo hiểm y tế mới nhất

This Circular was issued because the Government adjusted the basic salary from 1,490,000 VND to 1,800,000 VND from July 1, 2023. The Ministry of Health said that this price will be applied from November 17, replacing the price specified in Circular 39/2018 and Circular 13/2019 of the Ministry of Health.

Accordingly, the examination fee at special-class hospitals (such as Bach Mai, Viet Duc, Cho Ray, Hue Central, Thai Nguyen Central, and 108 Military Central) increased from VND38,700 to VND42,100. Commune health stations also changed the examination fee from VND27,500 to VND30,100. The increase at other hospital classes is only from VND2,600 to VND3,400.

The remaining hospitals include:

The price of a hospital bed per day for intensive care, organ transplants, bone marrow transplants, and stem cell transplants also changes.

The price of an emergency resuscitation bed day also recorded an increase according to each hospital class. For example, at a special class hospital, the price increased to 509,400 VND (an increase of 51,400 VND); class I was 474,700 VND (an increase of 47,700 VND); class II was 359,200 VND (an increase of 34,200 VND)...

The bed rate for type 1 internal medicine includes the following departments: Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Hematology, Oncology, Cardiology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Digestive Diseases, Nephrology, Endocrinology..., the increase is from 21,000 to nearly 31,000 VND.

Of which, the highest price for a day of internal medicine is in special class and class I hospitals under the Ministry of Health in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (such as Central Tropical Diseases, Central Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Dermatology...) is 273,100 VND, while class I hospitals are 255,300 VND; class II hospitals are 212,600 VND.

The testing and technical prices of more than 1,900 services also changed. In which, ultrasound increased from 43,900 VND to 49,300 VND.

Hospital fees expected to continue to increase in 2024

In July, in a document responding to the opinions of ministries and sectors regarding the roadmap for adjusting medical examination and treatment prices, the Ministry of Health said that if hospital fees are adjusted according to the new basic salary of 1.8 million VND, the average increase rate of medical examination and treatment prices will be 5%.

Regarding the impact of this adjustment, the Ministry of Health said that groups of people with health insurance cards, such as the poor, ethnic minorities, and social policy beneficiaries who are 100% covered by health insurance, will "not be affected". For those who have to co-pay 20% or 5%, the increase is not much, they can afford it because their income increases according to the basic salary.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said on November 16 that the Ministry of Health plans to increase hospital fees according to a roadmap, including adding "management costs" to the price component in 2024, and adding a fourth element, "equipment depreciation," to the price of medical examination and treatment in 2025.

"This is a plan, but specifically, it must be calculated comprehensively based on the CPI each year and the Government's decision," said Mr. Thuan.

Currently, the price of medical examination and treatment according to Circular 22 is built on the basis of direct costs and salaries to ensure medical examination and treatment. In which, direct costs include: Clothes, hats, masks, bedding, alcohol bandages; electricity, water, cleaning costs; costs of maintenance and repair of houses, equipment, etc.

Salary costs include: Salary according to salary scale, allowances prescribed by the State; regular allowances, surgery and procedure allowances according to the Prime Minister's decision...

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