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Health Care Payments in Vietnam: Patients’ Quagmire of Caring for Health versus Economic Destitution

Author

Listed:
  • Andre Pekerti

    (Business School, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia)

  • Quan-Hoang Vuong

    (Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Western University Hanoi (ĐH Thành Tây), Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
    Centre Emile Bernheim, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Tung Manh Ho

    (Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Western University Hanoi (ĐH Thành Tây), Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
    Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

  • Thu-Trang Vuong

    (Sciences Po Paris—Campus de Dijon, 21000 Dijon, France)

Abstract

In the last three decades many developing and middle-income nations’ health care systems have been financed via out-of-pocket payments by individuals. User fees charges, however, may not be the best approach or thenmost equitable approach to finance and/or reform health services in developing nations. This study investigates the status of Vietnam’s current health system as a result of implementing user fees policies. A recent mandate by the government to increase the universal cover to 100% attempts to tackle inadequate insurance cover, one of the four major factors contributing to the high and increasing probability of destitution for Vietnamese patients (the other three being: non-residency, long stay in hospital, and high cost of treatment). Empirical results however suggest that this may be catastrophic for low-income earners: if insurance cover reimbursement decreases below 50% of actual health expenditures, the probability of Vietnamese falling into destitution will rise further. Our findings provide policy implications and directions to improve Vietnam’s health care system, in particular by ensuring the utilization of health services and financial protection for the people.

Suggested Citation

  • Andre Pekerti & Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tung Manh Ho & Thu-Trang Vuong, 2017. "Health Care Payments in Vietnam: Patients’ Quagmire of Caring for Health versus Economic Destitution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:10:p:1118-:d:113180
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huu Chi Nguyen & Christophe J. Nordman & Fran�ois Roubaud, 2013. "Who Suffers the Penalty?: A Panel Data Analysis of Earnings Gaps in Vietnam," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(12), pages 1694-1710, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vuong, Quan-Hoang & La, Viet-Phuong & Le, Tam-Tri & Hoang, Giang & Jin, Ruining & Quang-Loc, Nguyen & Vuong, Thu-Trang & Nguyen, Minh-Hoang, 2023. "Envelope culture in the healthcare system: happy poison for the vulnerable," OSF Preprints 4fwj9, Center for Open Science.
    2. Manh-Toan Ho & Viet-Phuong La & Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Thu-Trang Vuong & Kien-Cuong P. Nghiem & Trung Tran & Hong-Kong T. Nguyen & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2019. "Health Care, Medical Insurance, and Economic Destitution: A Dataset of 1042 Stories," Data, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-14, April.

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