Under current regulations, Vietnam’s healthcare system is divided into three technical levels: Initial, Basic, and Specialized instead of Commune, District, Province and Central levels.

Effective from January 1, 2025, the updated Health Insurance Law outlines provisions that impact medical facilities' operations and citizens' benefits related to technical classification and the points of each facility.

However, until January 6, MOH and several provincial health departments had not yet publicly announced the ranking and the points of medical facilities, leaving citizens unclear about where to go. Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan at meetings on January 2 and January 6 urged the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment and local departments to disclose results promptly.

On January 8, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment announced the classification results for 48 units under MOH. 

Among them, four hospitals are ‘highly specialized units’, including Bach Mai, Cho Ray, Hue Central Hospital, and HCM City Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital. All the units have more than 90 points.

In addition, there are 25 specialized units with points between 71 and 86.

In Hanoi, 20 hospitals have been ranked as ‘specialized’, including Viet Duc Friendship Hospital; National Children’s Hospital; E Hospital; K Hospital (three campuses); Central Endocrinology Hospital; Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, Hanoi; Central Lung Hospital; Central Eye Hospital; Central Dermatology Hospital; Central Hospital of Traditional Medicine; Central Acupuncture Hospital, Central Psychiatry I; Central Geriatrics Hospital; National Otorhinorarynology Hospital of Vietnam; Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital; Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases; Hanoi Medical University Hospital and Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

There are five specialized hospitals in HCM City and other localities, including Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology HCM City; Thong Nhat; Can Tho Central General Central Hospital; C Da Nang Hospital; and Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital.

The remaining 19 units, initially ranked as central hospitals, have been classified as ‘basic’. These include Huu Nghi Hospital; Hue Central Hospital (second campus), and Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi City.

Many university-affiliated hospitals were also placed in the baseline category.

The public disclosure of hospital rankings and points provides guidance for referrals so that patients can go to the appropriate addresses for medical services.

In Circular 01, MOH named two categories, including diseases requiring high-level examination and treatment (62 diseases). The patients contracting the diseases can go directly to highly specialized hospitals allowing direct specialized hospital access, and diseases that can be treated at basic facilities (105 diseases).

Patients who go for out-of-network outpatient examination at the newly set up up Hoang Mai Campus at Hanoi Medical University Hospital will have their total expenses covered by health insurance.

This policy took effect on January 1, 2025.

Vo Thu