Experts' comments said that the development of the new circular contributes to overcoming limitations and difficulties related to payment of drug costs in medical examination and treatment under health insurance; ensuring that the drug list is updated regularly, continuously, publicly, transparently and conveniently for implementing units... Notably, the proposal to pay health insurance for drugs used in remote medical examination and treatment is considered a new point and will be very effective for places with difficult terrain and transportation.

Director of the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health) Tran Thi Trang said that the Circular stipulating this principle is basically built on the principle of ensuring the promotion of safe and effective policy implementation to meet the requirements of medical examination and treatment, in accordance with the disease model of Vietnam. Thereby ensuring the rights of health insurance participants, contributing to gradually reducing the direct payment rate of health insurance participants. On the other hand, ensuring the payment capacity of the health insurance fund in each stage, as well as creating conditions for the development of grassroots health care...

Medicines are always an important component and account for a large proportion of total health insurance medical examination and treatment costs. Although the proportion of medicine expenditures in total health insurance medical examination and treatment costs has continuously decreased in recent years, it still accounts for the largest proportion of expenditures. In 2020, the cost of medicine was more than VND 40.42 trillion (accounting for 34.75%); in 2022, it was VND 40.57 trillion (accounting for 33.41%). Currently, in the list of drugs covered by health insurance, there are 1,037 active ingredients/chemical drugs and biological products divided into 27 major groups and 59 radioactive drugs and tracers.

Vietnam is considered one of the few countries in the world with a relatively complete, comprehensive and expanded drug list compared to the health insurance premium. However, there are still some limitations and problems that need to be adjusted and amended to suit the actual situation. These are drug problems related to the classification of drug use by hospital. Many opinions suggest that it is necessary to soon have instructions on drug use, amend regulations in accordance with the regulations on professional levels in the new Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, which will be implemented from January 1, 2025, ensuring compliance with professional requirements, scope of operations, equipment conditions and human resources of medical facilities. In addition, there are problems with health insurance payment for drug wastage costs.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan spoke at the workshop.

Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, said: The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 has stipulated many contents related to remote medical examination and treatment and support for remote medical examination and treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement regulations on payment for drugs in remote medical examination and treatment to meet the needs in practical activities at medical examination and treatment facilities at all levels.

Notably, Article 21 of the Draft Law on Health Insurance, amended and supplemented, also stipulates that remote medical examination and treatment and support for remote medical examination and treatment will be covered by health insurance. However, not all technical services and medicines are covered by health insurance. Therefore, some localities have paid attention to this work and the People's Councils of some provinces and cities have issued a list of technical services in remote medical examination and treatment, and out-of-hospital emergency care to invest the state budget to pay for these technical services...

Experts affirm that if this policy is implemented, grassroots healthcare, especially commune and ward health stations and district health centers, will attract patients, avoid overloading upper-level hospitals, and upper-level hospitals will also provide better remote support to lower-level hospitals.