Vietnam: Composition of prices for medical services covered by health insurance

Prices for medical services prescribed in Circular No. 15/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam shall be calculated based upon direct expenses and salaries in order to ensure the medical examination, treatment and care for patients and medical procedures provision, specifically as follows:

Direct expenses included in the price for medical examination include:

- Expenses incurred on patient clothing, scrubs, medical cap, surgical mask, bedspread, pillow, mattress, mat, stationery, medical glove, cotton wool, bandage, alcohol, gauze, brine and other supplies serving the medical examination;

- Expenses incurred on electricity, water, fuels, daily-life waste treatment, medical waste (solid and liquid waste); laundry, steaming, drying, washing or disinfecting cloth, examination equipments; expenses incurred on cleaning and ensuring environment hygiene; antiseptic supplies and chemicals during the examination;

- Expenses incurred on maintenance and care of equipment, purchase of assets and tools for replacement such as air conditioners, computers, printers, dehumidifiers, fans, desks, chairs, cabinets, lights and other necessary tools during medical examination.

Direct expenses included in prices for hospital stay include:

- Expenses incurred on patient clothing, scrubs, medical cap, surgical mask, blanket, bedspread, mattress, mat; stationery; medical gloves used in examination and infusion, cotton wool, bandage, alcohol, gauze, brine and other supplies used in daily caring and treatment (including the expense incurred on changing the dressing of a surgical wound or incision of in-patient, except cases in which such expense is covered in addition to the price for hospital stay as prescribed in clause 5 and 6 herein); electrodes, electrocardiogram, blood pressure monitor, SPO2 cables in the course of using patient monitors for emergency beds and intensive care beds.

In particular, expenses incurred on medicines, blood, intravenous fluids, supplies not mentioned above; types of syringe used in infusion; inserted tubes, tubes connecting to syringe pumps or infusion pumps; oxygen, nasal cannula, oxygen mask (except cases in which the patient is required to use medical ventilator) shall not be included in the price for hospital stay and will be paid if above-mentioned tools are used during medical examination and treatment.

- Expenses prescribed shall arise out of care and treatment services provided to patients as professionally required.

Expenses directly included in the price for medical procedures include:

- Expenses incurred on patient clothing, scrubs, medical cap, bedspread, pillow, mattress, mat, cloth; stationery; medicines, intravenous fluids, chemicals, supplies used and supplies for replacement during medical procedures.

- Expenses shall arise out of medical procedures as professionally required.

Moreover, the composition of prices for medical services also consists of salaries included in prices for medical examination service, hospital stay and medical procedures, which include:

- Salaries based upon salary scale, grade or job title, allowances, contributions as prescribed in respect of public service providers and statutory pay rate prescribed by law.

- Regular allowances, allowances for surgery and medical procedures.

View more details at Circular No. 15/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, effective from July 15, 2018.

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