VIETNAM – 25 percent of provinces face trouble in expanding health cover

16 out of 63 provinces in Vietnam are facing problems in expanding health cover, said Mr. Tong Thi Song Huong, director of health insurance department at the Ministry of Health. The health insurance rates in these provinces stood between 43-53 percent, compared to the country’s average rate of almost 64 percent by late 2011.

 

With the end of the World Bank-funded project last June, the health cover rate for people living near the poverty line dropped rapidly. The government support now covers 70 percent of insurance fees.

 

Mr. Nguyen Cuu Long, deputy director of Hau Giang health department said that low commissions for health insurance agencies and weak communication were responsible for failure in expanding health coverage.