On the morning of 2/12, the National Assembly discussed a draft resolution on breakthrough mechanisms and policies for public health protection, care, and improvement. The draft proposes a phased implementation of hospital fee waivers until 2030, aligning with economic development and the Health Insurance Fund's balancing capacity. From 2027, health insurance contributions are set to increase, ensuring citizens receive basic fee exemptions within their insurance benefits. Vulnerable groups, low-income individuals, and other priority beneficiaries will see increased coverage.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, former Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, views hospital fee waivers as a breakthrough in medical examination and treatment. However, he emphasizes that this must be coupled with improved treatment quality, access to effective medications, and regularly updated standard treatment protocols. While supporting the goal of universal fee waivers by 2030, he advocates for earlier implementation for patients with incurable cancer, chronic illnesses, and especially those undergoing hemodialysis. "These individuals face extremely difficult circumstances, with very high costs for medication and treatment services", he stated.

Professor Tri also stressed the importance of convenient medical examinations, allowing patients to choose the nearest facility. He called on the Ministry of Health to effectively streamline inter-facility insurance access and remove the cap on health insurance payments. The government, he added, must ensure equitable access to benefits across all healthcare levels, particularly ensuring grassroots facilities are accessible to the public and adequately stocked with medicines.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, former Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: Hoang Phong

Delegate Nguyen Tam Hung expressed support for the roadmap of hospital fee waivers and increased health insurance coverage for vulnerable groups, recognizing it as a strategically significant social welfare policy. He proposed adding criteria for identifying priority beneficiaries based on health risk levels and high pathological risk, rather than solely administrative criteria. This is because many individuals with chronic, genetic, or early metabolic disorders require extensive and prolonged treatment. Expanding access standards based on risk, he argued, would ensure healthcare equity and reduce the long-term burden of disease.

Research from 11 nations indicates that chronic kidney disease treatment costs account for 2.4-7.5% of total annual healthcare expenditure. In Vietnam, the Health Insurance Fund allocates over 4,000 billion dong annually for hemodialysis treatment. Each dialysis session costs between 700,000 and 2,000,000 dong. With health insurance, patients only pay 150,000-450,000 dong per session, with a maximum co-payment of 543,000 dong. A patient's actual monthly out-of-pocket expenses can range from 2.5 million to 12 million dong after insurance deductions, or 12-36 million dong if uninsured and requiring hemodialysis three times per week.

The National Assembly is expected to approve the resolution on 11/12.

Son Ha