Health insurance in Vietnam for foreign expats

Since the 1980s, the Vietnamese health system has had some dramatic changes due to government investment in the universal healthcare plan. This means that medical assistance for some Vietnamese citizens is free, with the majority being funded by the government in some way and a minority paying for their medical care in full. Contributions from this plan, combined with government spending and payments from the private sector, have significantly advanced the national health network. However, the system is still in development. Public hospitals are often underfunded and poorly equipped. This has led to long waiting times across the nation. Much of the medical staff in these public facilities only speak Vietnamese and, in the rural and remote parts of the country, public health services are noticeably worse or non-existent.

Private hospitals in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, are often staffed by English- or French-speaking medical professionals trained in Europe or South Korea. The overall quality of these institutions is much higher, and the level of aftercare is preferred by many. Often, private hospitals will ask for your insurance details and either charge a discounted fee (based on your coverage) or ask you to pay in full, so you can claim the money back later from your insurer.

In order to access both public and private hospitals, you will only need your passport. You will then pay an amount according to your insurance status and which type of hospital you have chosen.

Expats who are employed in Vietnam with a work permit and a temporary residence card will make mandatory contributions to the nation’s medical and social insurance plans. This gives them access to public medical facilities without paying in full. You cannot opt out of this government scheme, even if you decide to take out private medical coverage. 

If you’re visiting the country, you will need to have enough private medical coverage to fulfil the ‘Plan for the Resumption of Tourism Activities Under New Normal Conditions’, created by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Introduced in 2022, this is a government mandate that allows visitors to enter Vietnam but requires travellers to have health insurance and Covid-19 cover to the value of at least $10,000 (around £9000)¹.

Under Vietnam’s social health policies, the poor, certain ethnic minorities, children under 6, the elderly above 80 and socially vulnerable groups are fully covered for healthcare. Households with low income, students and regular households are partially funded by the government or by their employers’ contributions². The national health plans provide basic coverage through public facilities. They include: some inpatient and outpatient care, pathology, medications, pregnancy check-ups, support and transport for vulnerable people, birth defects, treatment for self-inflicted injuries and eye treatments for children under 6. You will have to pay large out-of-pocket bills for more complex treatments or to find care from English-speaking medical staff.

Emergency Care

In the case of an emergency, dial 115 for medical assistance. However, be aware that ambulance response times are slow, many paramedics will not speak a high level of English and the ambulance equipment may be outdated. Private hospitals in bigger cities have much faster and more reliable private ambulance services. As a result, it is important to consider medical coverage that includes the cost of private emergency services.

In many cases, expats choose a policy that covers medical evacuation and treatment in a neighbouring country because better care facilities are available in nearby Thailand and Singapore.

General Practitioners, Prescriptions and Pharmacies

Finding and/or visiting your local GP (General Practitioner) in public clinics or hospitals can be difficult as many only speak Vietnamese. There are far more English-speaking medical professionals at the private clinics. Whichever you choose, you can find a list of local English-speaking doctors from your embassy.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of high-quality pharmacies in Vietnam’s towns and cities. However, expats should be careful of counterfeit or expired drugs in some public pharmacies. Many expats use the more reliable pharmacies attached to private hospitals and clinics. 

As the Vietnamese public health system is still developing, it is not equivalent to Western standards of public healthcare. In Vietnam, it is normal to pay for healthcare (public or private) in some way and expats often invest in private health coverage to avoid discrepancies in the public health service. Equally, expats take out insurance to avoid the inflated prices offered by some clinics and to avoid the expense of using English-speaking medical staff. 

In addition, expats often opt for an insurance policy that covers medical evacuation and treatment outside Vietnam, as Thailand and Singapore offer more advanced treatments and emergency care.