According to the draft law, the health insurance fund would cover 100 per cent of examination and treatment costs for patients who are diagnosed to have rare or serious diseases and have health check-up and treatment at facilities with specialised departments or higher technical capabilities.

Under the chair of NA vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh, deputies heard a proposal and a verification report on the bill on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Health Insurance Law.

Female Deputy Quang Thi Nguyet (Dien Bien) said that amending the concept and content of health insurance appraisal is necessary to overcome difficulties in organizing the implementation of current health insurance policies. Clarifying the payment process for medical examination and treatment costs will contribute to improving the responsibility of the agencies managing the Health Insurance Fund, ensuring effective use of the fund, and preventing waste and negativity.

Minister Of Health Dao Hong Lan said after 15 years of implementation, the Law on Health Insurance has proven effective with 93.3 million people, equivalent to 93.35 per cent of the population, being part of the health insurance network. It has affirmed the health insurance policy’s right purposes based on the principle of risk sharing, ensuring financial resources for public medical examination, treatment needs, as well as social security and international integration.

However, she acknowledged that the law requires updates to address certain shortcomings.

The amendment and supplementation of a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance aim at the effective management and use of the health insurance fund, she said.

It looks to fix shortcomings identified after 15 years of the law’s implementation while ensuring the consistency and synchronisation of the legal system, and alignment with relevant international treaties on health insurance to which Vietnam is a member, she said.

Minister Lan said the draft law amends and supplements 40 articles regarding participants in the health insurance scheme, their duty to pay the premium and benefits from the scheme, health insurance-covered medical examination, fund management, and several technical regulations.

The draft law fully covers four groups of policies approved by the Government and submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee. They include adjusting list of qualified participants, changing scope of health insurance benefits, fixing relevant health insurance regulations and promoting the role of grassroots level in primary health care and medical examination, treatment under health insurance coverage.

Among the amended regulations are the transition from four tiers of healthcare services to three levels of technical specialisation, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, in alignment with the Law on Examination and Treatment

The minister emphasised that the amendments and supplements need to be aligned with related laws and address shortcomings of current laws.

Regarding the difficulties and shortcomings in the law’s implementation, the Government and the Ministry of Health have issued a number of guidance. Meanwhile, the Government has ordered ministries, sectors and localities to take drastic solutions to step up law enforcement in the coming time, she said.

Better assurance of patients’ interests

Delivering a verification report on the draft revised law, chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh basically agreed with the scope of amendments and supplements. The amended provisions cover four policies that have been approved in the proposal.

She requested the draft law’s compiling agency to conduct careful assessment on the impacts of draft provisions which cover more extensive scope to avoid controversies.

The committee is in favour of the health insurance’s extended list of participants, payment responsibility and method as specified in the revised law.

The amendments must ensure equality among groups of participants and refrain from diminishing or eliminating their benefits, Anh said.

The committee requested the compiling agency to conduct thorough assessment of new beneficiary groups on State budget and health insurance fund.

It is recommended that the Government consider increasing subsidy for students who participate in the health insurance scheme.

Articles 21 and 22 have been amended to expand the scope of health insurance benefits and benefit levels for some subjects. The NA Social Affairs Committee recommends comprehensive assessment and equal benefits among the same health insurance participants before making amendments.

According to the draft law, the health insurance fund would cover 100 per cent of examination and treatment costs for patients who are diagnosed to have rare or serious diseases and have health check-up and treatment at facilities with specialised departments or higher technical capabilities.

chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh said the benefit extension needs to consider the balancing capacity of the health insurance fund as well as operation of the medical examination and treatment system.