IMPACT OF HEALTH INSURANCE ON COSTING CHRONIC DISEASE TREATMENT AMONG RURAL RESIDENTS IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Abstract

Increasing health insurance coverage is considered the best way to achieve the goal of universal health care. Protecting households from the economic burden of health care spending is the central of global health policy, which enables all people to access health care services through sharing risk action and protecting against the risk of health care costs rising beyond the spend levels. Using quantitative and qualitative survey data in 2023 in four rural communes in the Mekong Delta, the article explores the impact of health insurance on residents' chronic disease examination and treatment costs. The result shows that there is no difference in medical examination and treatment costs between patients using health insurance and patients not using health insurance. However, medical examination and treatment costs at the provincial and central levels are higher than those at the district and local levels as well as private medical facility. The study recommends that policymakers consider to upgrade facilities, equipments, and skills of district-level for medical staff to help patients avoid having to choose medical facilities outside of their residence and thus will not create a financial burden for patients with health insurance.