Vietnam Social Insurance Agency funds will be boosted by 1.5 trillion VND (71 million USD) to subsidise examination and treatment fees for those using health insurance cards, according to a Government's newly-signed decision.

This is 24 trillion VND (1.1 billion USD) higher than estimates earlier this year.

Explaining the boost, Pham Luong Son, head of the agency's Department for Health Insurance Policy Implementation, said that the agency expects to spend about 22 trillion VND (1 billion USD) for examination and treatment fees.

However, after receiving reports on the first nine months from localities nation-wide, the agency had to ask the Government to increase the fund.

About 110 million cases were examined and treated under the health insurance card system this year, costing 24 billion VND (1.1 billion USD), 7.8 percent more than the previous year.

It is estimated that more than 56 million people used health insurance services nationwide up to November this year. /.