Vietnamplus

A lack of clear and transparent regulations relating to autonomy for public hospitals is hindering the efficiency of their operation, a senior expert said.

The Vietnam Social Security must enhance inspections and join hands with relevant agencies to ensure transparency and prevent health insurance fraud, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said.

Vietnam’s health insurance fund is forecast to struggle with an enormous deficit of more than 10 trillion VND (434.8 million USD) this year, according to a newly released information from the Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI).

The Vietnam Social Insurance on August 31 launched its centres for IT management and customer services, aiming to improve the effectiveness of serving people and employers.

Public hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City which do not receive local funds for regular expenditures will increase fees for non-insured patients by 30 percent from August 1, according to the city’s Department of Health.

The Vietnam Social Insurance Agency (VSIA) granted about 13.3 million social insurance books to citizens nationwide in the first six months of this year, accounting for 99 percent of total insurance participants.

Health insurance profiteering is still common in private hospitals and health clinics, with medicine improperly prescribed and purchased, leading to an imbalance of the health care fund.

Increasing health insurance coverage among people is an important solution that helps build a democratic, equal, prosperous and happy society, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Various shortcomings still exist in traditional medicine in terms of healthcare and paying health insurance fees.

Vietnam’s number of social insurance holders reached 13.24 million as of April 30, said Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Insurance Pham Luong Son.

A workshop took place in northern Hai Phong city on May 23 to gather opinions on a draft decree guiding the enforcement of compulsory social insurance for foreigners working in Vietnam.

Transferring the right of suing companies for overdue social insurance payment to workplace-based trade unions has not been as effective as lawmakers had expected.

The Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) on April 28 launched its online portal with enhanced features to provide regular updates on the sector’s operations and information and data.

A national vaccination information management system was launched on March 24 in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

Avoiding paying social insurance fees and social insurance debt has continued to increase, said the Social Insurance Agency’s Deputy Director General Pham Luong Son.

The of Health Ministry discussed the implementation of a plan for IT application in the management of health services and insurance payment in 2017 with relevant state bodies at an online conference.

The percentage of Vietnamese citizens with health care insurance has risen dramatically, reaching 81.7 percent as of last year thanks to new regulations in the Health Insurance Law.

The capital city of Hanoi will start putting in place an individual medical records system for locals next month, said Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Department.

Roughly 17 million or over 18 percent of Vietnam’s population had not entered the health insurance programme by the end of 2016.

The government issued Resolution No.19 on February 6 on tasks to improve the business climate and national competitiveness this year with a vision to 2020.