Vietnam Health Ministry bans extra fees for insured patients

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam has issued a directive to all provincial health departments, Ministry‑affiliated hospitals, ministries, agencies and every medical facility nationwide. The order requires that patients holding a health insurance card (BHYT) who follow the proper registration procedures and do not request additional services must not be asked to pay any extra charges beyond the statutory co‑payment. Facility heads are held responsible for ensuring payments match the insured benefit scope, reimbursement rates and percentages set by law, and they may not require patients to sign voluntary co‑payment agreements. The ministry also instructed local health departments to audit the allocation of BHYT cards at each facility and to adjust the initial registration numbers as needed. Any institution found charging unauthorized fees will be inspected and penalised according to regulations. The measure follows numerous complaints that insured patients were still being billed extra costs despite complying with the insurance process. The directive mentions that patients can also use the VssID digital application instead of a physical insurance card.