Public hospitals in Vietnam must publicize medical service prices

Public hospitals in Vietnam must publicize medical service prices (Illustration)

Article 10 of this Circular stipulates matters that need to be disclosed in a timely and open manner including:

- Prices of on-demand medical examination and treatment services rendered to patients; prices of other services rendered by medical establishments.

- Prices of medical examination and treatment services applied to patients with health insurance cards;  prices of unsolicited medical examination and treatment services applied to patients without health insurance cards; relief of prices of medical examination and treatment services; implementation of health insurance benefits; health insurance coverage of  medical examination and treatment costs according to the provisions of law.

- Regulations on rights and obligations of patients to medical establishments.

- Internal rules, regulations and maps of wards, departments and affiliated units of medical establishments.

- Medical examination and treatment processes and procedures, and other related procedures.

- Daily work schedules, on-call duty schedule of staff members; citizen reception schedules of heads of medical establishments.

- Departments for reception of citizens, handling of feedbacks, petitions, complaints and denunciations of medical establishments.

- Hotline number of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.

- Matters and acts that cause disorder, infringe on body, health, life or insult the honor and dignity of officers and employees of medical units.

- Results and points indicating patient’s satisfaction.

Public announcement approaches

- Posting public notices and displaying information on electronic billboards

• Written documents, drawings, diagrams and directional markings or signs showing way to zones, wards, departments or subordinate units;
• Boards of internal rules, regulations or prices of medical examination and treatment services and prices of patient’s services at public places where a lot of patients walk. Posting notices at public places must be regular, continuous and timely.

- Information, communication and counseling activities

Disseminating, communicating and counseling regulations, policies and issues related to medical examination and treatment activities when patients arrive at clinics, emergency rooms and wards.

- Directly notifying patients, patient's legal representatives; organizing activities of patient councils of departments, wards and units.

Thus, according to the above regulations, public hospitals must publicize the prices of medical examination and treatment services in prescribed forms, mainly so that patients can easily see and know.

Circular 05/2021/TT-BYT takes effect from July 1, 2021.

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