Overview of fnancial policies and support models for ethnic minority health care in Vietnam from 1989 to present

Abstract

Over the past few decades, Vietnam has signifcantly narrowed the gap between Kinh group and ethnic minorities in some basic health indicators. This is the result of effective fnancial support policies for ethnic minorities which have been issued and implemented. We conduct this overview with the purpose of reviewing health fnancing policies and fnancial support models for healthcare for ethnic minorities in the localities of Vietnam from 1989 to present. Policies and models of fnancial support for healthcare for ethnic minorities in Vietnam have been implemented relatively widely and mainly focused on health insurance and medical examination and support for treatment costs for ethnic minorities. These policies have been actively implemented and applied synchronously in areas across the country where ethnic minorities reside and achieved some remarkable results, especially the policies to support health insurance for ethnic minorities. In the near future, it is necessary to have fnancial support policies focusing on health issues and common diseases among ethnic minorities. In addition, with regard to the medical examination and treatment costs support policy for the poor and ethnic minorities, it is necessary to expand the model that has been implemented effectively in some localities to other localities.