Vietnam Health Ministry proposes insurance coverage for home medical visits to vulnerable groups

The Ministry of Health has released a draft circular to allow the national health insurance fund to reimburse home‑based medical examinations and treatments for seven groups that have difficulty accessing health facilities. The groups include people with severe or profound disabilities, persons aged 75 and older with limited mobility, individuals with mental illnesses who cannot self‑care, patients with chronic or paralytic conditions, those requiring palliative end‑of‑life care, beneficiaries of social assistance such as war invalids and residents of care homes, as well as children under 36 months and elderly people without caregivers.

Under the proposal, if the price of a home visit is equal to or lower than the price for the same service at a health facility, the insurance fund will pay the approved home‑visit rate. If the home‑visit price is higher, the fund will cover the standard rate plus 50 % of the difference, with the patient paying the remaining 50 %. The draft also expands coverage to family‑medicine practices and telemedicine services, and it is currently open for public comment.