Ho Chi Minh City hospitals have 2,500 billion VND of health insurance 'suspended', what does the Ministry of Health say?

Recently, the Ministry of Health has sent a document to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) under the Ministry of Finance regarding the payment of costs exceeding the estimated health insurance (HI) medical examination and treatment costs and not yet recovering the costs of technical services performed on medical equipment that have not completed the establishment of public ownership before March 4, 2023.

The document stated that the Ministry of Health had received a dispatch from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health regarding the payment of costs exceeding the estimated health insurance examination and treatment expenditures sent to the Vietnam Social Security. At the same time, on August 4, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper published an article "Ho Chi Minh City: Hospitals have not yet been paid nearly 2,500 billion VND of health insurance in 2 years".

According to the information, in 2023, the cost of health insurance examination and treatment facilities in the city exceeded the estimated cost of 557.5 billion VND, which was assessed and sent to Vietnam Social Security by Ho Chi Minh City Social Security.

In 2024, the cost of health insurance examination and treatment will still increase, the amount exceeding the estimated expenditure is about 1,950 billion VND.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance is recovering health insurance examination and treatment costs performed on medical equipment that has not completed the establishment of public ownership before March 4, 2023.

The unpaid and long waiting time for payment of health insurance medical examination and treatment costs exceeding the budget makes it difficult for units to ensure operating funds and balance financial revenues and expenditures.

Especially in the context where the price of medical examination and treatment services has not been calculated correctly and fully, and there is debt for medicine provided by businesses, it has a certain impact on the operation of medical examination and treatment facilities and the rights of health insurance participants.

Regarding the cost of health insurance examination and treatment exceeding the estimate in 2023. The Ministry of Health requested the Vietnam Social Security to urgently report to the Ministry of Finance and submit to the Government for consideration and approval of the cost of health insurance examination and treatment exceeding the estimate in 2023 to pay for medical examination and treatment facilities, including those in Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding the cost of health examination and treatment under health insurance in 2024, the Ministry of Health requested the Vietnam Social Security to direct the Social Security of provinces and centrally-run cities to promptly implement in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Health Insurance and the Government's decrees detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance.

Regarding the advance payment for health insurance examination and treatment costs, we request Vietnam Social Security to direct the Social Security of provinces and centrally-run cities to make advance payments for health insurance examination and treatment costs according to the prescribed rate and number of advances to ensure funding for health insurance examination and treatment activities for the people.

Regarding the cost of health insurance examination and treatment of medical services performed on medical equipment that has not yet completed the establishment of public ownership.

The Ministry of Health has sent an official dispatch to the Vietnam Social Security requesting not to recover health insurance examination and treatment costs for technical services performed on medical equipment that has not yet completed the establishment of public ownership.

The Ministry of Health is synthesizing and reporting to the Government on this content; requesting the Vietnam Social Security to direct the Social Security of provinces and centrally-run cities not to recover this expense until there is a decision from the Government and the Prime Minister.