Proposal to remove the procedure for requesting a hospital transfer certificate

On the morning of November 20, the National Assembly discussed the results of monitoring the settlement of voters' petitions sent to the 5th session of the 15th National Assembly.

Need to remove the procedure of requesting a hospital transfer certificate

Regarding the issue of health insurance, Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi) shared that voters have many opinions about going to the doctor and having to ask for a hospital transfer paper is "very annoying, time-consuming, and tiring".

Currently, information technology has advanced, the connection of test results, functional examinations, and diagnostic imaging is being implemented. He assessed that more than 93% of the Vietnamese population has health insurance, so the need for "barrie to ask for a hospital transfer certificate should be abolished".

This delegate proposed to accelerate the process of connecting routes, more substantially. In particular, in the upcoming revision of the Health Insurance Law, it is necessary to allow people with health insurance to seek medical examination and treatment wherever they want, in accordance with their medical condition, quality of examination and treatment, travel time, and care conditions...

Regarding the total payment or limit of health insurance fund expenditure of medical examination and treatment facilities within a year, according to Mr. Tri, this regulation has been adjusted by Decree 75/2023 of the Government. Accordingly, health insurance medical examination and treatment services will be paid according to actual needs, which medical facilities provide which services, drugs, chemicals, and supplies will be paid for that.

He said that the issuance of Decree 75 has put an end to the inconvenience in medical examination and treatment that has existed for many years. This delegate expressed his wish to continue to monitor and promote the implementation of the decree's content in a practical manner, without any distortion.

Regarding the addition of drugs to the health insurance list, he suggested that male diseases that have been included in the international classification of diseases by the World Health Organization must be covered by health insurance. In the revision of the Health Insurance Law, according to him, the authorities should pay attention to the list of drugs covered by health insurance. Because the treatment with which drug, which regimen is based on the disease condition, the severity of the disease, experience, and advances in world medical science... to achieve the best results for the patient.

"The list of drugs and treatment regimens should be left to the medical sector, medical facilities, and the Ministry of Health to decide on. If a patient uses a drug or treatment, if it is correct and effective... then health insurance will pay accordingly. Please do not have a list of drugs covered by health insurance anymore," Mr. Tri suggested.

Hospital slow to pay debt due to procedural problems

Delegate Nguyen Huu Thong (Binh Thuan) said that during the COVID-19 outbreak, due to the high number of cases, it was difficult to make purchases according to regulations due to social distancing. Therefore, units "borrowed" medical supplies and disinfectants from suppliers and private enterprises. However, they have not yet paid due to procedural problems.

Voters requested that the authorities provide guidance on debt repayment for units in the purchase and borrowing of medical equipment, supplies, and biological chemicals. Delegates said that in Binh Thuan province, the current debt is over 91 billion VND.

Although the National Assembly has issued Resolution 99 to remove these difficulties and obstacles, to date, the Government and the Ministry of Health have not yet issued documents guiding its implementation.

The delegate said that local medical facilities are facing many difficulties and obstacles in the debt payment process, so "creditors are waiting impatiently, and debtors are also waiting impatiently for guidance". He suggested that the Government and the Ministry of Health soon find a way to resolve this issue.

Raising a debate board afterwards, delegate Nguyen Lan Hieu (Binh Dinh) said that this is a prominent issue not only in Binh Thuan province but also in the majority of provinces and cities where the pandemic has broken out. Not only for supplies and medicines but also for meals, laundry, oxygen, compressed air, etc.

Delegate Nguyen Huu Thong proposed that the Ministry of Health issue guidelines to remove the restrictions, but according to him, "that is not enough."

Mr. Nguyen Lan Hieu stated that the Government can only set out principles and direct localities to conduct their own reviews, but always include the sentence "to comply with legal regulations". Thus, "everything will stand still".

He pointed out the reality at the hospital where he worked: "The debt has been outstanding for too long and there is no way to pay it, it has been over the fiscal year, and even if it is brought to court, the hospital will definitely lose because it uses other people's equipment and belongings." Therefore, the hospital has to pay the money along with bank interest.

Therefore, delegate Hieu suggested that the Ministry of Health should issue detailed instructions on some specific items that are often used to fight the epidemic. Localities need to strongly support the health sector through resolutions of the People's Council, and thoroughly resolve the problems that exist after the pandemic so that the health sector can confidently carry out its task of taking care of people's health.