Transferring medicines and medical supplies purchased for Covid-19 prevention and control to medical examination and treatment services

The Government has just issued Resolution 129/NQ-CP on transferring drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased from the State budget for Covid-19 prevention and control to revenue from medical examination and treatment services.

Chính phủ cho phép sử dụng thuốc, vật tư y tế đã mua cho phòng, chống dịch phục vụ khám, chữa bệnh

Transferring drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased from the state budget for Covid-19 prevention and control to revenue from medical examination and treatment services.

The resolution stated that, in the recent past, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, some localities and medical facilities have purchased drugs, supplies and biological products in excess of actual needs using the state budget to provide emergency care and treatment for Covid-19 patients. Up to now, the Covid-19 epidemic has been controlled, so the use of the above drugs, supplies and biological products for the task of preventing and fighting Covid-19 is no longer urgent.

Therefore, the Government has decided to allow medical examination and treatment facilities to use drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased from the state budget for Covid-19 prevention and control but not fully used to serve medical examination and treatment, minimizing waste.

Payment principles when used for medical examination and treatment

The Resolution clearly states that for drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased from the state budget for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic on the list of payments by the Health Insurance Fund (HIF): Medical examination and treatment facilities are only allowed to pay and collect from the co-payment of patients with health insurance cards equal to the purchase price according to the provisions of the bidding law, but not higher than the price paid by the social insurance agency to medical examination and treatment facilities from the time this Resolution takes effect.

For people without health insurance cards, medical examination and treatment facilities are only allowed to collect from patients the purchase price according to the provisions of the bidding law, but not higher than the price paid by the Social Insurance agency to medical examination and treatment facilities from the time this Resolution takes effect.

From the effective date of this Resolution, in case medical examination and treatment facilities do not have prices paid by the Health Insurance Fund, the price paid by the Health Insurance Fund for other medical examination and treatment facilities in the province/centrally-run city shall be based on the price paid by the Health Insurance Fund for other medical examination and treatment facilities in the province/centrally-run city. If there are still no prices paid by the Health Insurance Fund at other medical facilities in the province/centrally-run city, payment shall be made at the purchase price according to the provisions of the law on bidding.

For drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased from the state budget for Covid-19 prevention and control that are not covered by health insurance, medical examination and treatment facilities are only allowed to collect from patients the purchase price according to the provisions of the bidding law.

The Resolution clearly states that the amount of money collected by medical examination and treatment facilities will be paid to the state budget according to the provisions of the law on the state budget.

Review the quantity of drugs, supplies, and biological products purchased to minimize waste.

The Government requested the Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to direct medical examination and treatment facilities to proactively review the quantity of drugs, supplies and biological products purchased but not fully used from the state budget to prioritize epidemic prevention and control work and transfer use between medical examination and treatment facilities to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic, minimizing waste.

The Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities shall guide medical examination and treatment facilities to coordinate with the Social Insurance (SI) agency to make payments and settlements according to regulations and pay the collected amount to the state budget.

In addition, direct the Department of Health and relevant agencies to inspect and supervise the implementation related to prices and settlement, ensuring compliance with legal regulations, efficiency, and preventing negativity, loss, and waste.

Vietnam Social Security directs Social Security of provinces and centrally-run cities to coordinate with the Department of Health and medical examination and treatment facilities to implement this Resolution.

The Resolution takes effect from August 18 to December 31.

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