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A patient undergoes an ultrasound scan at Phuc Hung private clinic in central Quang Ngai Province. Private clinics and hospitals expect to see more patients because of the better services and facilities on offer. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Long |
Bui Minh Dong, deputy head of the agency, said most private health facilities would probably sign contracts with the Social Insurance Agency in coming years because of the increased number of patients covered under national health insurance.
All of the private facilities in HCM City, which currently treat 10 per cent of patients, have already signed contracts with the city's Social Insurance Agency.
These include the hospitals of An Sinh, Hoan My, Trieu An, Phu Tho and My Duc.
The number of private hospitals and health clinics in HCM City this year increased by 10 per cent over last year, and is expected to rise when more people are covered by health insurance.
Dong said that private clinics and hospitals were expected to see more and more patients because of the better service attitude and facilities at these health establishments.
According to Ton That Quynh Trung, chief executive officer of Phuoc An Medical Centre (HEPA), one of the first private hospitals and health clinics in HCM City, the professional conduct and quality of doctors and nurses as well as other staff in private facilities help attract patients, including those that are insured.
He said his medical centre had signed an agreement with the HCM City Social Insurance Agency to accept patients with national health insurance.
Trung pointed out that many hospitals, however, had discriminated against patients who were covered by national health insurance.
The hospitals preferred immediate payments instead of later reimbursements from the national fund, he explained.
"The national insurance fund pays the fees for insured patients and the hospital must wait for these," he said.
Trung said that all hospitals and health clinics should improve quality and invest in new, modern facilities that offer more comfort to patients.
Phuoc An treated 131,000 insured patients for the second quarter, an increase of 20,000 over this year's first quarter.
Trung noted that more private medical facilities like Phuoc An would help reduce the patient overload at public hospitals and health clinics.
"More private hospitals and health clinics are signing contracts with the city social insurance agency so we can meet the demand of residents and treat them more easily and effectively," he added.
Public health facilities have for years held a monopoly in the market.
But new competition between private and public health facilities will help raise healthcare quality, and will add more payments to the general insurance fund, according to Trung.
As fees rise at hospitals in the next few years, the insurance fund is expected to pay a higher proportion of each patient's fee.
When that occurs, the insured patient will likely not have to pay as much at private hospitals as they do now. Private facilities often add fees like bed charges to the patient's bill.
Nearly 4.6 million people of 8 million in HCM City are currently insured. There are 140 public and private hospitals and health clinics. — VNS
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