The Ministry of Health issued a Circular regulating the price frame for medical examination and treatment upon request.

Does not affect people with health insurance cards

According to the Ministry of Health, the purpose of issuing the Circular on the price framework and pricing method for medical examination and treatment services upon request provided by state medical examination and treatment facilities is to create a legal basis for medical examination and treatment facilities to develop and provide medical examination and treatment services upon request in accordance with the direction of socialization of health care work; to guide medical examination and treatment facilities to develop price lists for medical examination and treatment services upon request in accordance with the provisions of law.

At the same time, encourage medical examination and treatment facilities to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment services, promote facilities and highly qualified medical staff; contribute to improving income so that medical staff can confidently serve for a long time.

In addition, the issuance of the Circular contributes to meeting the increasingly high and diverse demands of the people when using medical examination and treatment services at public medical facilities; restricting people with economic capacity from having to go abroad for medical examination and treatment and attracting foreigners and overseas Vietnamese to receive medical examination and treatment in Vietnam; creating conditions for the development of additional health insurance packages.

Regarding the scope of regulation: The Circular stipulates the price framework and pricing method for medical examination and treatment services upon request provided by state medical examination and treatment facilities according to the price-setting method prescribed in Circular 25/2014/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance; stipulates the authority to approve specific prices for medical examination and treatment services upon request of medical facilities based on service quality and local socio-economic conditions.

The service price frame issued in the Circular includes maximum and minimum prices, accordingly, the specific price of approved on-demand medical examination and treatment services must not be lower or higher than the price frame specified in the Appendix issued with this Circular.

The price of medical examination and treatment services on demand only applies to those who voluntarily register to use medical examination and treatment services on demand (accounting for 5-10% at provincial and central hospitals, almost none at district level). People with health insurance cards still pay according to the price prescribed in Circular No. 13/2018/TT-BYT; people without health insurance cards but do not voluntarily register to use medical examination and treatment services on demand will pay according to the price prescribed in Circular No. 14/2018/TT-BYT. Therefore, the Ministry of Health affirms that the issuance of the Circular does not affect people with health insurance cards; people without health insurance cards but do not voluntarily register to use medical examination and treatment services on demand.

The rate of hospital beds on demand is not more than 20%

The Ministry of Health said that medical facilities providing medical examination and treatment services must comply with the following principles: In accordance with the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, meeting the diverse needs and affordability of service users; Publicly and transparently disclose the list and prices of services provided by medical examination and treatment facilities; In accordance with assigned functions, tasks and powers. Medical examination and treatment facilities must comply with the provisions of law on management and use of public assets and must perform accounting, management and use of funds in accordance with the provisions of law.

The Circular also stipulates a number of quality indicators and principles that medical facilities must implement when providing on-demand services, such as: regulations on the ratio of on-demand hospital beds not exceeding 20% ​​compared to the average beds of the previous year, the ratio of time that experts and good doctors participate in medical examination and treatment is a maximum of 30%.

According to the Ministry of Health, the Circular will guide medical examination and treatment facilities to implement and develop prices for medical examination and treatment services on demand in accordance with the provisions of law. This will help to closely and better manage the provision of medical examination and treatment services on demand.

The issuance of Circular No. 13/2023/TT-BYT on the price framework and pricing methods for medical examination and treatment services on demand provided by state-owned medical examination and treatment facilities is consistent with the policies and viewpoints of the Party and the State; encouraging units to proactively and actively deploy and invest in equipment and infrastructure. Revenue from service activities is reinvested to continue investing and developing techniques; creating conditions to mobilize the state budget to invest in areas and localities that do not attract investment resources, supporting the implementation of policies on grassroots health care.

According to VNA