Minister of Health answers voters about roadmap towards free hospitalisation for all

The Ministry of Health said it had received a number of petitions from voters in Dong Nai province (including the petition from voters in Binh Phuoc province before), in which voters stated: Currently, the cost of direct medical examination and treatment is still high, which is a major barrier causing many people, especially the poor and those in difficult circumstances... to delay or refuse to access high-quality medical services, while health insurance has not yet paid for this service.

Therefore, voters recommend that the Government soon implement a policy of free hospital treatment for all people. This is also a necessary requirement and completely consistent with the spirit of "leaving no one behind" that our Party and State have repeatedly emphasized.

Voters of Lam Dong province (including the opinions of voters of the old Binh Thuan province) wish to study and soon implement the reduction and move towards free medical examination and treatment for all people.

Responding to voters' petitions, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said: The consistent policy of our Party and State is to always put the protection, care and improvement of people's health first and foremost, ensuring that all people are managed and cared for in their health, "leaving no one behind".

To achieve this goal, the Law on Health Insurance has been promulgated and continuously improved, identifying health insurance as the main health financing mechanism. Health insurance is a social security policy with a profound community character, operating not for profit, implemented based on the principle of risk sharing among participants.

The Health Insurance Fund covers most of the costs of medical examination and treatment, and patients participate in co-paying a portion of the costs at a rate appropriate to each group of subjects.

The co-payment principle is necessary to enhance participants' responsibility in using health services appropriately, while ensuring the sustainability of the Health Insurance Fund to serve the long-term interests of the entire population.

Minister Dao Hong Lan added that, implementing social security policies, the State has had many policies to support people to participate in health insurance. Currently, the state budget is ensuring health insurance payments for people in priority groups (the poor, children under 6 years old, ethnic minorities in disadvantaged areas...) and partially supporting the payment for many other groups (near-poor people, students...).

When participating in health insurance, people have access to a large list of technical services, medicines, and medical supplies, meeting the needs of medical examination and treatment from the grassroots to the central level.

Regarding policy orientations in the coming time, implementing the policies of the Party and the State, especially Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee on strengthening the protection, care and improvement of people's health in the new situation, the Ministry of Health is focusing on researching and proposing solutions according to the roadmap to reduce the financial burden for people when examining and treating diseases, specifically:

Research and submit to the Government and the National Assembly for consideration, expand the groups of subjects supported by the state budget to pay health insurance, increase the level of support to increase the rate of universal health insurance coverage;

Research and gradually expand the scope of health insurance benefits, update high-tech services and new effective drugs into the payment list based on balancing the capacity of the Health Insurance Fund;

Develop policies to reduce co-payment levels appropriate for certain serious illnesses, high costs, or for vulnerable groups, aiming to achieve the goal that people who receive health insurance treatment at certain levels will not have to pay additional costs within the scope of benefits.

To ensure resources, the policy will be implemented according to a roadmap through health insurance, with the scope of health insurance benefits gradually expanding according to the roadmap for suitable subjects.

The Ministry of Health hopes to receive consensus and active participation of people in health insurance to effectively implement this policy.

THIEN LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/bo-truong-y-te-tra-loi-cu-tri-ve-lo-trinh-huong-toi-mien-vien-phi-toan-dan-post897148.html