Health insurance data system goes online

A health care data portal and an information system for health insurance eligibility verification were launched on June 29, a move to computerise the medical sector in Vietnam.  

At a conference on developing health insurance to 2020, Director General of the Vietnam Social Insurance Nguyen Thi Minh said her sector has worked with the Ministry of Health to pilot a system connecting data of medical facilities at the central, provincial, district and communal levels in Thai Nguyen province, Bac Ninh province and Hai Phong. 

The computerisation of medical examination, and treatment management and health insurance eligibility verification and payments has resulted in initial positive effects. It has created a breakthrough in administrative procedure reforms, helping to better ensure insurance buyers’ interests.

She said almost all medical facilities serving health insurance buyers in the 63 provinces and cities have connected with the information system for insurance eligibility verification on a trial basis.

The online system helps search for information about health insurance card holders and their treatment records, thus saving time and expenses, Minh noted.

At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked Vietnam Social Insurance and the health ministry to work harder in the time ahead to have at least 90 percent of the population covered by health insurance by 2020, as demanded by the Prime Minister.

He said all hospitals must be computerised so as to fundamentally improve health care activities. Connecting health care data and the verification information system is an important step towards complete computerisation.