Lawmakers discuss amendments to health insurance law

ABO/NDO- The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee discussed a draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Health Insurance Law in Hanoi on November 15 as part of its 39th session.

Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs, reported that the revision process has focused on ensuring the regulations are clear, practical, straightforward, and feasible.

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh chairs the meeting. (Photo: VNA).

The draft law maintains the current objects outlined in the existing legislation, while adding groups specified under other laws. It also includes village-based healthcare workers and village birth attendants to recognise their roles in providing the services in remote areas and to ensure appropriate support policies for them.

The draft introduces new provisions for health insurance coverage including services such as telemedicine, family health care, and at-home care. Health insurance benefits, meanwhile, are designed to eliminate administrative boundaries in healthcare access.

The bill also adds regulations on information technology applications, digital transformation, data sharing, and the integration of diagnostic results across medical facilities. It reduces the time required to issue health insurance cards from 10 to five working days, while introducing provisions for issuing electronic health insurance cards.

Most of the legislators expressed support for the draft’s major updates.

In her concluding remarks, NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh underscored the importance of the efforts to ensure healthcare providers, patients, and related agencies fully understand it. Regular monitoring and prompt solutions to challenges facing its implementation are also necessary.

The official called for the issuance of detailed guidelines and mobilisation of resources for effective implementation, as well as a comprehensive overhaul of the Health Insurance Law to address obstacles identified.

(Source: NDO)