On the afternoon of October 24, the National Assembly discussed in groups the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance. Many National Assembly deputies said that the amendment needs to clarify the responsibilities of the contributors and the benefits of the people. This includes clearly defining the rights of insurance participants; ensuring that there is no inequality between health insurance participants...
Increase the rate of participation in health insurance
Delegate Huynh Thi Anh Suong ( Quang Ngai Delegation) said that it is necessary to expand the subjects participating in health insurance (HI) to expand the coverage. This includes adding some groups of subjects such as: employees with a fixed term of 1 month or more are eligible to pay HI; employees who are foreign citizens working in Vietnam when working under a fixed-term labor contract with a term of 12 months or more.
Citing the Government's report on the management and use of the health insurance fund in 2023, as of December 31, 2023, the number of people participating in health insurance was more than 93.6 million people, reaching a health insurance coverage rate of about 93.35% of the population, Ms. Suong suggested that the remaining people should be reviewed to see which subjects they are to classify them by group, and supplement regulations on health insurance participation to increase the rate of universal health insurance.
According to Deputy Tran Duc Thuan (Nghe An Delegation), the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance mainly focuses on overcoming difficulties and shortcomings in the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance. The amendment clarifies the responsibilities of the contributors and the benefits of the people. It clearly defines the benefits of insurance participants in specific subjects, expanding the subjects that are more beneficial to the people.
Proposing to amend the explanation of the term health insurance appraisal, Deputy Quang Thi Nguyet (Dien Bien Delegation) said that amending the concept and content of health insurance appraisal in the current Health Insurance Law (Clause 6, Article 2, Clause 1, Article 29) is an urgent and necessary issue to overcome the difficulties, obstacles and shortcomings in the organization and implementation of the health insurance policy that have lasted for many years. Especially in the payment of health insurance medical examination and treatment costs.
Ms. Nguyet proposed to add regulations on making and assigning health insurance medical examination and treatment budgets to provincial social insurance agencies and health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities in Point a, Clause 24, Article 1 of the Draft Law (amending and supplementing Points a and b, Clause 1 of Article 35). Specifically, 91% of the health insurance premiums for medical examination and treatment are allocated and assigned annual budgets to provincial social insurance agencies, centrally-run cities and health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities.
Previously, in the morning session presenting the report on the review of the draft Law, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Anh - Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Social Committee said that the Social Committee basically agreed on adding subjects participating in health insurance, responsibility for payment and method of health insurance payment as stipulated in the draft Law.
However, Ms. Thuy Anh suggested that the Government, the agency in charge of drafting the Law project, continue to review to ensure that the subjects participating in health insurance as prescribed in other legal documents are fully reflected in Article 12 in this amendment. Continue to review and compare carefully to avoid reducing or losing benefits of health insurance support compared to current regulations, and not creating inequality among subjects participating in health insurance. Review all regulations related to health insurance in the Law projects submitted to the National Assembly at the 8th session to ensure the consistency and synchronization of the legal system. For new groups of subjects, it is recommended to carefully and comprehensively assess the impact on the state budget and health insurance fund. For subjects participating in health insurance who are students, the Social Committee finds that it is not necessary to amend or supplement this regulation. At the same time, it is recommended that the Government study the option of increasing the support level for this group instead of the regulation allowing the choice of payment method to reduce family expenses in Article 13...
Expanding payment for some medical services
According to Deputy Tran Van Tuan (Bac Giang Delegation), up to now, the Ministry of Health has not issued timely amendments and supplements with full details on diagnosis and treatment guidelines. The treatment regimen only gives directions without specifying which drugs to use, leading to the arbitrary application of drugs and the use of high technology in treatment, causing unnecessary waste and affecting health insurance...
Mr. Tuan suggested that it is necessary to stipulate that the health insurance organization is responsible for inspecting the use of the health insurance fund to increase the use of the health insurance fund for the right subjects and purposes, prevent waste and profiteering of the health insurance fund, and enhance the responsibility of the health insurance fund management agency, ensuring compliance with the law.
Pointing out the current situation of health insurance facilities where patients have to buy medicine themselves as prescribed by doctors, but there are no regulations on how to reimburse patients, Mr. Tuan proposed to clearly stipulate that in cases of shortage of medicine and medical supplies, patients have to buy medicine themselves as prescribed by doctors, the health examination and treatment facility is responsible for refunding the patient the amount of money they have bought medicine and medical supplies before they are discharged from the hospital, synthesizing payments with the Social Insurance agency, and being responsible for payment request documents is necessary to protect the rights of patients with health insurance cards to access medical services, reduce administrative procedures, and avoid possible negative events... Mr. Tuan also proposed to supplement the responsibility of health examination and treatment facilities in ensuring medicine and medical supplies for health insurance card holders within the scope of benefits.
Delegate Huynh Thi Anh Suong proposed that it is necessary to expand payment for some medical services to ensure implementation and meet voters' expectations such as payment for medical examination and treatment and support for remote medical examination and treatment, transfer of medical examination and treatment facilities according to professional requirements, support for costs of using blood, pharmaceutical products, and medical equipment. However, currently, the trend of developing medical examination and treatment activities at home of medical facilities, and family medicine treatment according to the provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, "Therefore, it is necessary to study and supplement regulations on health insurance payment for these cases" - Ms. Suong said.
Delegate Dang Bich Ngoc (Hoa Binh Delegation) stated that in Article 21 of the amendment and supplement, the scope of benefits for health insurance participants includes 10 expenses: Expenses for the use of blood, blood products, drugs, medical equipment, medical gases, medical technical services, supplies, tools, instruments, and chemicals used in medical examination and treatment. At the same time, the authority is assigned to the Minister of Health to promulgate the list, rates, and payment conditions for 3 contents including drugs, medical equipment, and medical technical services.
However, according to Ms. Ngoc, the Minister of Health has only regulated a part of the scope of benefits for health insurance participants. “What about other costs? Document No. 1334 of the Ministry of Health also explains that blood and blood products used for patients are not included in the price of medical examination and treatment services and are paid separately according to the regulations of the Minister of Health. However, I propose to clarify the basis as well as have regulations on the maximum and minimum payment rate for participants covered by health insurance to ensure the rights and transparency in the scope of benefits for participants,” Ms. Ngoc wondered.
When examining the draft Law, in order to fundamentally resolve the rights of health insurance patients, the Social Committee of the National Assembly also proposed that the Drafting Committee continue to study the provisions in Clause 4, Article 31 on the payment mechanism through hospitals or directly to patients when they have to buy medicine, supplies, and medical equipment themselves, such as the payment of paraclinical service costs stipulated in Clause 5, Article 31.
In addition, regarding the provisions on advance payment, payment, and settlement of health insurance examination and treatment costs in Article 32, the Social Committee also proposed that the Government have a mechanism to fundamentally resolve difficulties in payment and settlement of health insurance examination and treatment costs between Vietnam Social Security and medical examination and treatment facilities in the past.
Arrangement of district and commune level administrative units of 21 provinces and cities
On the afternoon of October 24, at the National Assembly House, with 100% of the delegates present in agreement, the National Assembly Standing Committee passed resolutions on the arrangement and establishment of district and commune-level administrative units in 21 provinces and cities.
These 21 provinces and cities include: Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Da Nang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Kien Giang, Lang Son, Lam Dong, Long An, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Nghe An, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa and Yen Bai.
Speaking at the meeting, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man stated: Reorganizing administrative units is a very important task to implement Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW of the Central Committee, Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW of the Politburo, preparing for party congresses at all levels, towards the 14th National Congress of the Party.
Emphasizing the purpose of the arrangement to create favorable conditions for the newly established administrative units, creating convenience for people and businesses, the National Assembly Chairman said that propaganda and information work plays an important role so that people understand and support, thereby making the arrangement of new administrative units effective.
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man noted that there must be measures to disseminate information before, during and after the reorganization; promptly grasp the thoughts and aspirations to resolve difficulties and problems of officials, people and the business community when reorganizing administrative units. People must be at the center of this reorganization. Social consensus is the deciding factor. In particular, the reorganization must ensure thrift and efficiency in accordance with the spirit of General Secretary To Lam on combating waste.
PV
Fourth working day, 8th session, 15th National Assembly
On October 24, the National Assembly continued the fourth working day of the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly at the National Assembly House under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
Morning: Under the direction of Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, the National Assembly listened to: Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, authorized by the Prime Minister, present the Report on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance; Member of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh presented: Report on the examination of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance; Report on explanation, acceptance and revision of the draft Law on Trade Unions (amended).
After that, the National Assembly discussed in the hall about some contents with different opinions of the draft Law on Trade Unions (amended). At the discussion session, there were 25 opinions expressed by National Assembly deputies, 1 opinion debated by deputies, in which, the opinions basically agreed with many contents of the draft Law and the Report on reception and explanation of the National Assembly Standing Committee... At the end of the discussion, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang, representing the agency submitting the draft law, spoke to clarify some contents that National Assembly deputies were interested in.
Afternoon: The National Assembly discussed in groups: Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance; Draft Law on Data.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/dam-bao-cong-bang-khi-tham-gia-bao-hiem-y-te-10293027.html
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