Vietnam: Guidelines for determining the number of times and prices of medical services in common cases

To ensure the synchronization of legal regulations on health insurance and protect the rights of insurance participants, Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam provides the following guidelines:

- If a patient undergoes medical examination in examination department then is transferred to inpatient department for treatment as required by professionals, payment for medical examination shall be made in accordance with clause 3 below. If a patient is not subject to medical examination in examination department but in clinical department as required by professionals, the payment for such examination is not required.

- For medical facilities providing specialist examination service in clinical departments, examination conducted in examination department and specialist examinations in clinical department will be counted as examination in medical examination department. A number of times for medical examination will be counted and the price for such examination service will be determined in accordance with regulations in clause 3 below.

- For one-time examination in a single medical facility (such examination can be finished in one day or last for 2 days due to subjective reasons), if the patient is required to undergo more than one specialist examination, the price for the second examination onwards shall be equal to 30% of the price for one-time examination and the maximum price for such -medical examination shall not exceed 2 times the price for one-time examination.

- Patients that show abnormal signs after undergoing examination and taking medicines by medical facility require re-examination in the same day in such medical facility; such examination shall be counted as the second examination in a day. Payment for medical examination shall be made in accordance with regulations in clause 3 above.

- For patients undergoing examination in regional polyclinics then being transferred to hospitals or medical centers of district level for another medical examination, such examination shall be counted as a new examination.

View details of prices for medical examination and testing at Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, effective from January 15, 2019.

-Thanh Lam-

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