The conference on professional training and guidance for social security agencies in 14 provinces of Cluster 2 includes Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Son La, Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Hoa Binh, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa.

The health insurance assessment process issued together with Decision No. 3618/QD-BHXH (December 12, 2022) has been implemented since January 1, 2023, replacing the health insurance assessment process issued together with Decision No. 1456. /QD-BHXH (December 1, 2015). These new guidelines on assessment are issued in the context that some documents that were the legal basis for the 2015 Health Insurance Assessment Process that has been replaced by new documents.

The delegates listened to the presenters introduce the new appraisal process

Accordingly, the new assessment process guides two forms of assessment to be carried out in parallel: active assessment (inspection directly performed by the social security agency); automatic inspection (using software to check information in electronic data). The new assessment process also provides detailed instructions on the assessment of costs of medical care covered by health insurance in three forms: data-based; on records and documents; direct payment.

Affirming that “the organization of training on software for assessment of health insurance is important in carrying out the assessment of costs of medical care covered by health insurance according to the new assessment process”, Deputy General Director Nguyen Duc Hoa asked the delegates focus on listening and absorbing knowledge from the presenters' lectures, in order to understand the software's features and practice on the software.

Illustrative image (internet)

At the conference, the delegates heard the reporters introduce 8 topics: Introduction of assessment software functions according to Decision No. 3618/QD-BHXH; update information on contract signing of medical care covered by health insurance; assessment of payment conditions for drugs, technical services and medical supplies; assessment of costs of medical care covered by health insurance based on data; processing the assessment results; direct payment and multi-line payment outside the province; interlink health insurance-based medical expenses management software; manage and exploit information on the health insurance assessment system; the key contents in the implementation of the assessment process promulgated together with Decision No. 3618/QD-BHXH.

As planned, a similar conference will be held for the central region (Cluster 2) in Da Nang city on March 16 and 17, 2023; a conference in the South (Cluster 3) in Ho Chi Minh City with 2 sessions (March 21-24, 2023).

According to French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet, the French Embassy in Vietnam has cooperated with VSS in the fields of health care and pharmacy since 2018.

In 2019, the French Pharmaceutical Companies Association (Leem) signed an agreement with VSS in the pharmaceutical area, he noted, affirming that the newly-signed MoU is the continuance of the sound cooperation between the two sides.

VSS Deputy General Director Nguyen Duc Hoa said that currently, about 18.26 million people have joined social insurance, accounting for 39.25% of the country’s workforce, along with about 14.7 million people joining unemployment insurance and over 93.3 million people covered by health insurance, or 93.35% of the country’s population.

However, Hoa pointed out a number of difficulties that VSS is facing in ensuring that people covered by health insurance access medicine, medical equipment and services with high quality, as well as challenges in managing spending of the health insurance fund on drugs, medical supplies, and medical technical services.

He underlined that the MoU is not only a commitment to public health but a shared effort of the two sides in providing high-quality medical services for people of the two countries, contributing to promoting Vietnam-France relations.

Under the MoU, the two sides will share information and experience on measures to increase income sources for the health insurance fund and the implementation of supplementary health insurance packages, while supporting each other in enhancing capacity in medical technology assessment serving the building of a list of drugs, medical supplies, and technical services covered by the health insurance fund.

Meanwhile, the two sides will also work together in communications to raise awareness of the community and medical staff about safe, reasonable and effective use of drugs, ensuring the effective use of the health insurance fund and patients' rights, and optimising resources for the improvement of healthcare services./.