The Ministry of Health is drafting new regulations regarding the expansion of medical services covered by health insurance. This step is taken as a follow-up to the implementation of the 2024 Health Insurance Law, which aims to improve patient accessibility to modern diagnostic technologies and enhance the efficiency of healthcare cost payments.
One of the main points in the draft policy is the expansion of reimbursement for PET/CT scans. While previously limited to specific types of cancer, the Ministry of Health is now proposing that this advanced diagnostic method also be used to monitor treatment response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, as well as for post-treatment monitoring of lymphoma patients.
Given the high cost of a single PET/CT scan, which reaches 20 to 25 million VND, this policy is expected to significantly reduce patients' out-of-pocket expenses. In addition to scans, the proposal also includes adding to the list of tumor marker tests, such as expanding the use of the CA 19-9 test for colorectal and liver cancer patients.
Besides easing the public's financial burden, the Ministry of Health stated that this regulation aims to support hospitals in developing their technical capacity and the quality of medical services. With more flexible yet measurable procedural standardization, it is hoped that the use of health insurance funds can run more effectively without sacrificing the financial sustainability of healthcare provider institutions.
In the draft, the Ministry of Health emphasized that every proposed technical service must align with the latest diagnostic guidelines and be adapted to the disease prevalence profile in Vietnam. This policy is expected to be a concrete solution to guarantee the rights of health insurance participants to receive care that is on par with the latest medical technology developments.
