Proposal to Provide Free Health Check-ups for Priority Groups Starting in 2026

Continuing the agenda of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, on the morning of 17 November, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented the draft National Assembly Resolution on several breakthrough mechanisms and policies for protecting, caring for, and improving public health.

Expanding healthcare benefits and reducing medical costs for the public

To align with the provisions of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW, the Government proposes that starting in 2026, citizens will receive free annual health check-ups or screening examinations at least once per year, based on prioritized groups and a phased roadmap.

At the same time, regular health check-ups, free screening programs, student and university health examinations, occupational health assessments, mandatory employee health checks, and health-insurance-covered medical services will be coordinated to ensure free examinations and the completion of electronic health records for the entire population.

According to the Government’s report, funding for this policy will be sourced from multiple channels.

Specifically, under the proposed policy on regular health check-ups, enterprises will cover expenses for their employees as required by law. The State budget will fund priority groups first, with an estimated annual allocation of about VND 6,000 billion, which may gradually increase depending on fiscal capacity.

For free screening examinations, funding will be sourced from the National Target Program on Healthcare, Population, and Development for the 2026–2035 period.

Starting in 2027, individuals from near-poor households and senior citizens aged 75 and above receiving social pensions will be entitled to 100% coverage within health insurance benefit limits.

The impact on the Health Insurance Fund from increasing benefit levels for these groups is estimated at between 455 billion and over 2.7 trillion VND, according to the Government’s calculations.

At the same time, the Government has proposed that the National Assembly approve a pilot program to diversify health insurance packages, including supplementary health insurance options tailored to citizens’ needs.

The Minister of Health emphasized that this is a new policy initiative of the Party, not yet provided for in the Law on Health Insurance, and therefore requires the National Assembly’s approval to establish a legal basis for implementation.

Waiving basic hospital fees within the scope of health insurance benefits

In its proposal, the Government recommends introducing a phased policy to waive basic hospital fees within the scope of health insurance benefits, in line with the country’s socioeconomic development conditions.

Accordingly, starting in 2027, individuals from near-poor households and senior citizens aged 75 and above who receive social pensions will be entitled to 100% coverage within the limits of health insurance benefits.

The estimated cost for this policy ranges from VND 455 billion to VND 2.74 trillion, depending on the level of benefit adjustment for these groups, to be covered by the Health Insurance Fund.

Notably, for these groups, the Government also proposes piloting and diversifying health insurance packages — including supplementary plans — based on people’s specific needs.

The National Assembly is requested to authorize the pilot implementation and empower the Government to issue detailed regulations once conditions permit.