'Free hospitalisation for all is not too far-fetched'

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan answers reporters' questions at the regular Government meeting in April 2025 - Photo: VGP/Doan Bac

At the regular Government press conference in April 2025, answering reporters' questions about the policy of developing healthcare and taking care of people's health, moving towards free hospital fees for people, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that this is a very big and humane policy, clearly demonstrating the superiority of our regime in taking care of people's health.

General Secretary To Lam's direction on moving towards free hospitalisation for all people is not only a long-term strategic orientation but also a goal that the health sector is determined to achieve.

According to the leaders of the Ministry of Health, the implementation of this policy will have positive impacts such as increasing access to health services, proactively preventing, diagnosing, detecting and treating diseases early, increasing treatment effectiveness, optimizing the use of health financial resources; reducing financial burden on people; increasing opportunities to escape poverty; improving the quality of human resources: better health means a more productive workforce, contributing to GDP growth and reducing the risk of economic lag; promoting social equity: exempting priority hospital fees for ethnic minorities, remote areas will further increase health services for vulnerable groups and reduce the gap between rich and poor.

"Investing in health will bring invaluable results," Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan affirmed.

Towards free hospitalisation for all - Photo: VGP/TH

100% of people have regular health check-ups at least once a year

Regarding orientation, the leader of the Ministry of Health said that from 2026-2030, 90% of people will have full access to disease prevention services, health promotion, full vaccination according to age, subjects, primary health care, reproductive health, maternal and child health, mental health, school health, health risk screening, periodic health check-ups, chronic disease management, general medical examination and treatment, family medicine right from the grassroots health care.

100% of people receive regular health check-ups at least once a year, have an electronic health book to manage their health throughout their life, live in a green, clean environment, ensure food safety, and have a reasonable diet; the elderly, the disabled, and the disadvantaged receive social care and attention.

Financial resources for people's health care are guaranteed. The state budget increases support for purchasing health insurance cards to strive for 100% of the population to have health insurance; expand the scope of health insurance benefits and gradually pay for preventive services, screening, early diagnosis and treatment of diseases at an early stage; gradually reduce the proportion of people's payment in total expenditure for health services to below 20%, and the proportion of co-payment for health insurance examination and treatment costs to below 10%.

By 2045, the healthcare system will fully and promptly meet the needs of caring for, protecting and improving people's health, reducing the burden of medical costs, and implementing the policy that people do not have to pay additional costs when examining and treating health insurance.

Under the direction of General Secretary To Lam, the Ministry of Health is drafting a report to the Government and submitting it to the Politburo for promulgation of a Resolution on breakthroughs in public health care, meeting the requirements of national development in the new era, which proposes many solutions focusing on developing health care and public health care, moving towards free hospital fees for all people.

According to the orientation, from 2026-2030, 90% of people will have full access to disease prevention services and full vaccination according to age - Photo: VGP/TH

The Ministry of Health is also urgently drafting a Government Decree detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance to submit to the Government for consideration, signing and promulgation, effective from July 1, 2025. The Decree stipulates a number of groups of subjects that are supported by the State with health insurance premiums, contributing to universal health insurance coverage. The Decree also details the scope, benefits and levels of benefits for health insurance participants.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health is developing to issue circulars regulating the list, rates, levels and conditions of payment for medical technical services, drugs and medical equipment within the scope of benefits of health insurance participants, including regulations to increase the rates and levels of payment for some drugs and medical equipment in the direction of free of charge for some subjects, especially policy subjects.

Implementation roadmap

Regarding the implementation roadmap, from 2026 to 2030, research and submit to the Government for promulgation a Decree guiding the pilot implementation of a number of policies to implement such as expanding the benefits of basic health service packages to increase to 20-30% of the basic salary (currently 15%), periodic health check-ups, screening and diagnosis, early detection of some diseases, some at-risk subjects (by age, occupation...), increasing the benefit level to 100% for subjects currently enjoying a benefit level of 95%, with a roadmap to gradually increase the benefit level for subjects currently enjoying a benefit level of 80%. Currently, there are 3 benefit levels: 80% benefit level, 95% benefit level, 100%.

In addition, the Ministry of Health will study expanding the rate and level of payment for technical services, medicine, and medical equipment for a number of subjects such as the poor, near-poor, people with average living standards, and some groups of diseases.

Design the component funds of the health insurance fund, including the medical examination and treatment fund, the reserve fund and the support fund for some cases to pay extra for serious illnesses.

Linking health insurance with the National Target Program on health care, population and development for the period 2026-2035 to increase efficiency and prevent waste.

Strictly control abuse and profiteering from the provision of free medical examination and treatment services, causing waste of resources and overload at medical examination and treatment facilities.

From 2030 to 2035, research to comprehensively amend the Law on Health Insurance, perfect policies, regulations, and guidelines to implement free health care for all people in a sustainable, stable, and long-term manner. Currently, in the Law on Health Insurance, there is no provision for payment for examination and screening.

"The two orientations that the General Secretary mentioned are not only health goals but also a profound reminder that policies must originate from people, for people and for a sustainable Vietnam. Regular health check-ups and free hospitalisation for all people are not too far-fetched if we have political determination, create broad social consensus and a clear and methodical implementation roadmap," the Deputy Minister of Health emphasized.

Thuy Ha

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/mien-vien-phi-toan-dan-la-dieu-khong-qua-xa-voi-102250506172911689.htm