Tens of thousands of patients suffering from cancer and other potentially fatal diseases in Vietnam may have to return home to wait for death since the state-run health insurance agency has decided to lower its payments for 28 special medicines as of next year.
The medicines are the expensive types specifically for cancer, hepatitis, and joint inflammation.
With the new decision recently approved by the Ministry of Health and to be valid as of January 1, 2015, tens of thousands of patients will pay from 50 to 70 percent of the costly medicines, instead of having them for free or low prices as before.
Tong Thi Song Huong, head of the Department of Health Insurance under the health ministry, said that it costs a patient VND40 million to VND1.2 billion (US$1,900-57,700) a year for treatment on one of the 28 expensive medicines.
From the start of 2015, health insurance will cover on average 30-50 percent of the cost of these expensive medications, instead of 50-100 percent as before, she explained.
Waiting for death at home
Pham Quang Tinh, a patient at Huu Nghi Hospital in Hanoi, fell into a state of deep shock on the morning of December 24 when he heard that he will not receive funds for a specific medication for his lung cancer.
The medicine costs VND1.35 million ($65) per tablet and is used daily. Before, he was given it free of charge, but from January 1 he will have to pay VND700,000 ($34) a day for each tablet.
“I am a retiree and get a retirement salary of VND4.5 million [$216] a month.
“I have to cover school fees for my two young children with that money.
“My wife told me I should stay at home and take cheap medicine,” Tinh added.
Vietnam now has tens of thousands of patients in a similar situation.
Vu Van Lai, 69, is another cancer patient. He has been prescribed free treatment with a special medicine that costs VND1.4 million ($67) a pill for the last 13 months.
“With the new decision in place, it will cost me over VND20 million [$962] a month, and a retiree like me can’t afford it,” admitted Lai.
Other medications for liver cancer cost much more, at VND4 million ($192) a pill for a daily dosage.
The medications are expensive but effective as they can reduce the size of a tumor.
Fear of bankruptcy for health insurance fund
The health insurance fund still covers a total of 50 other medicines for cancer which are less expensive, and patients who are unable to afford those medicines can select the cheaper varieties, said Huong, head of the Department of Health Insurance.
She noted that her insurance body prefers the limit of payment for the 28 expensive medications to avoid the risk of going bankrupt in the future.
It is estimated that the health insurance body needs insurance premiums from 2,000 people to cover the treatment expenses for one liver cancer patient using the specific medicine worth VND1.2 billion ($57,700) a year.
Regardless of the reason, a just society must not let any patient die due to the lack of money for medicine, critics have said.
From 2010 till now, the health insurance fund of Vietnam has gained an excess of receipts over expenditure. Now, the fund has an excess of over VND20 trillion ($961.5 million).
Doctor Dang Huy Quoc Thinh, vice director of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, said he has not received any documents on the prices of medicine in accordance with the new decision.
Currently, the health insurance agency pays the entire cost of 1,064 medications, including 57 specifically for cancer, according to Huong.
She said the health ministry and the health insurance body will seek practical policies to coordinate with pharmaceutical firms in the future to provide good, affordable medicine for dangerous diseases.
The health insurance body alone cannot cover free special medication for patients with fatal diseases, Huong said.
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Đăng ký: VietNam News