Latest guidance on analyzing information on healthcare service prices in Vietnam

Latest guidance on analyzing information on healthcare service prices in Vietnam (Image from the Internet)

On October 17, 2024, the Minister of Health of Vietnam issued Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT on the methods for determining the healthcare service prices.

Latest guidance on analyzing information on healthcare service prices in Vietnam

As stipulated in Article 5 of Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT, the analysis of information regarding the healthcare service prices in Vietnam is conducted as follows:

Identify the medical examination and treatment services to compare, ensuring they are of the same type as those needing valuation by cross-referencing collected information with the provisions of Clause 2, Article 3, Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT.

- In cases where more than three pieces of information are collected, select sources for comparison based on the priority principle:

+ Choose information collected closest to the time of pricing plan formulation;

+ From the same province or city under central authority, or from areas with similar socio-economic conditions.

- Adjust information before performing a comparison:

+ In cases where the price of comparable medical examination and treatment services shows fluctuations, the price must be adjusted up or down to the point of price determination to align with market changes. Specifically, the comparison price is the price set by an authorized agency in the previous year and the annual consumer price index published by the National Assembly;

+ In cases where the collected price is in a foreign currency, convert it to Vietnamese Dong at the foreign currency selling rate announced by the Vietcombank at the time of price determination.

- The unit drafting the pricing plan determines the specific price of medical examination and treatment services and proposes specific service prices in one of the following ways:

+ The specific price of medical examination and treatment services is determined based on the average price of comparable services after adjustments;

+ Propose specific service prices based on the analysis of collected information prescribed in Article 4 of Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT and Clauses 1 and 2, Article 5 of Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT, ensuring the proposed price complies with Article 1 of Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT and does not exceed the highest comparison service price after adjustments as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 5 of Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT.

More details can be found in Circular 21/2024/TT-BYT, which comes into force in Vietnam from October 17, 2024.

The following Circulars will cease to be effective in Vietnam from January 1, 2025:

- Circular 13/2023/TT-BYT by the Minister of Health of Vietnam stipulating the framework and methods for determining the healthcare service prices as required by state-run health facilities;

- Circular 21/2023/TT-BYT by the Minister of Health of Vietnam stipulating the framework for the healthcare service prices provided by State health facilities and guidance on applying prices and payment of examination costs in certain cases;

- Circular 22/2023/TT-BYT by the Minister of Health of Vietnam stipulating the uniform pricing of health insurance-covered medical examination and treatment services across equivalent hospitals nationwide and guidance on applying prices and payment of insurance-covered examination costs in certain cases.

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