Vietnam: Determination of the number of day for inpatient treatment to be used as a basis for paying hospital stay price

According to Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, in cases of inpatient treatment, the number of day for inpatient treatment to be used as a basis for paying hospital stay price shall be determined according to the following formula:

The number of days for inpatient treatment shall be equal to the discharge date minus (-) the hospitalization date then plus (+) 1: apply to the following cases:

- The seriously-ill patient is undergoing inpatient treatment in a hospital but there is no sign of illness recovery or such illness becomes worse who requires hospital discharge or referral to upper level hospital.

- The patient that undergoes medical emergency treatment in an upper level hospital but still requires inpatient treatment is transferred to a lower level hospital or to another medical facility.

The number of days for inpatient treatment is equal to the discharge date minus (-) the hospitalization date: apply to the remaining cases.

For the case in which the patient is admitted to the hospital and is discharged from such hospital on the same day (or discharged on the following day), such day shall be counted as a treatment day if the treatment lasts for more than 4 hours but less than 24 hours.

Except the case in which the patient is transferred directly to the emergency department not through examination department and undergoes less than 4-hour-treatment (including cases of hospital discharge, hospitalization, referral or dead) and get the prices for medical examination, medicine purchase, medical supplies and medical procedures paid by the insurance agency excluding the hospital stay price for intensive care.

For the case in which the patient is admitted and discharged from the hospital after undergoing less than 04-hour treatment, such patient shall get the price for medical examination, medicine purchase, medical supplies and medical procedures paid by the hospital, excluding the hospital stay price for inpatient bed.

View other provisions at Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, effective from January 15, 2019.

Duy Thinh

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