The 35th ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) Board Meeting continued on September 19, with members sharing practical outcomes in carrying out social and health insurance policies.
About 90 percent of social insurance funds are currently invested in government bonds (G-bonds), Dao Viet Anh, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), said at a seminar last week.
Vietnam has expanded health insurance coverage among HIV patients taking ARV treatment to 83.4 percent at present from 50 percent in 2016, helping ensure that they can maintain long-term treatment.
The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the Danish Embassy on August 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help the VSS improve its health insurance verification staff’s capacity in 2018 and 2019.
Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has reported that many hospitals have been found abusing the health insurance fund in the first six months of this year.
Health experts have called on the Health Ministry to add direct-acting antiviral Agents (DAAs) into list of drugs that public health insurance covers so patients with Hepatitis C are treated more effectively.
More than 81.5 million Vietnamese people, or nearly 87 percent of the population, were covered by health insurance by the end of June, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).
Local-level health care facilities are expected to increase their capacity and provide better services to help reduce pressure at central hospitals by “gaining public trust”, said Nguyen Nam Lien, Director of the Health Ministry's Planning and Finance Department, at a press conference in Hanoi on June 29.
Vietnam will increase the number of communal health care centres in charge of preventing, managing and treating several non-contagious diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes in the next 12 months.
Vietnam is striving to build a sustainable, equal and effective financial mechanism to ensure that all people get access to quality healthcare services, said Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan.
French experts in medicine and Vietnamese peers discussed ways to maximise the proper use of medicine in treatment and the effective management of health insurance budget at a conference in Hanoi on May 10.
Beginning on July 1, the Health Ministry and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) will adjust the prices of some health care services to better manage health insurance funds, said Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
About 126,000 people have tuberculosis (TB) in Vietnam, but fewer than 106,000 have received treatment, while the others are undetected and sometimes unaware of their status, said Director of the Hanoi-based Central Pulmonology Hospital Nguyen Viet Nhung.
The Government will spend 2.269 trillion VND (100 million USD) over the next two years on buying five active substances and 22 types of drugs for public hospitals and healthcare centres.
Vietnam will not consider raising health insurance premiums until 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has pledged.
Vietnam Social Security recorded some 13,100 patients undergoing check-ups more than 50 times, with the total cost of 28.3 million USD paid by its health insurance fund, during January-October.
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has requested Quang Ninh province continue its efforts to improve its business and investment environment to develop tourism, seaports and logistics.
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).
