During the recent period, due to the outbreak of Covid-19, some localities and healthcare facilities have procured medications, supplies, and biological products in excess of actual needs using state budget funds for emergency treatment and care of Covid-19 patients. As of now, the Covid-19 situation has been controlled, so the use of these medications, supplies, and biological products for Covid-19 prevention and control is no longer necessary.
Therefore, on August 18, 2023, the Government issued Resolution 129/NQ-CP on the transfer of medications, supplies, and biological products purchased from the state budget for Covid-19 prevention and control to the revenue from healthcare examination and treatment services ("Resolution 129"). Specifically, as follows:
1. The Government allows healthcare facilities to use medications purchased from the state budget for Covid-19 prevention and control for healthcare purposes.
Accordingly, medical examination and treatment establishments may use drugs, supplies, and bio-products purchased from the state budget but not yet fully used to sell and supply to patients and request patients or social insurance agencies to pay funds (applicable to drugs on the list of health insurance funds paid by the Health Insurance Fund and patients with health insurance cards).
At the same time, all revenue generated from the sale of medications with the mentioned origin must be remitted to the state budget in accordance with regulations.
2. Principles of determining drug payment prices
For medications, supplies, and biological products listed in the Health Insurance Fund's reimbursement list, healthcare facilities are only allowed to charge patients at the purchase price, but not higher than the price set by the Health Insurance Agency.
As for medications, supplies, and biological products not listed in the Health Insurance Fund's reimbursement list, healthcare facilities may only charge patients at the purchase price as stipulated by the procurement regulations.
Furthermore, the Resolution also specifies that in cases where healthcare facilities do not have a price set by the Health Insurance Fund for reference, they should base their prices on those set by the Health Insurance Fund for other healthcare facilities in the province/central-affiliated city. If there is still no reference price, the purchase price as stipulated by the procurement regulations should be used.
Resolution 129 is effective from August 18, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
Comment: