Trends and Differentials in Household Out-of-Pocket Spending for Health in Viet Nam, 2010–2022
2025
Bales, Sarah | Huong, Dao Lan
This report examines household out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending in Viet Nam from 2010 to 2022. Despite high health insurance coverage (91percent in 2022) and reduced catastrophic health expenditure, OOP spending remains high, about 40 percent of current health expenditure, well above WHO’s recommended 15–20 percent. Per capita OOP spending has risen, especially for inpatient care, and the COVID-19 pandemic shifted spending toward retail pharmaceuticals. Large disparities exist by income, age, ethnicity, and region, with wealthier groups spending much more and vulnerable populations facing higher burdens. Pharmaceutical OOP spending is especially high (75 percent in 2022), indicating a need for better prescription enforcement and medication quality. The report recommends policy reforms to improve financial protection and service access for vulnerable groups, strengthen primary care, and enhance monitoring of OOP spending.
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