On November 27, the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) welcomed visiting delegates from the Republic of Korea’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The delegation was led by Kim Chungock, head of HIRA committee for pharmaceutical pricing. The visit is an annual activity of HIRA to train its staff, boost understanding on social security systems in the region, and exchange information for better implementation of health insurance policy.

At the meeting, leaders of the VSS’s Department of International Cooperation delivered a brief introduction on social and health insurance policies in Vietnam.

Both host and guest discussed measures to increase insurance coverage, review and assess data, and data sharing, among other topics.

The VSS and HIRA are currently working to complete a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation, which includes priorities on health insurance data and experience sharing concerning pharmaceutical prices, on medical equipment, and on assessment criteria for drug/equipment price and quality to make shopping lists at medical facilities.

They are also building reports to track patients’ medical fees with health insurance, and automatic alert principles for their digital assessment system, as well as principles and methods for their assessment of payment, data control and health service quality monitoring.

The MoU is expected to be signed in December this year.