Vietnam insurance rules let 62 disease groups skip referrals

Those with serious and rare conditions can go directly to specialised medical facilities from 1 July.

Vietnam will introduce new Social Insurance and Health Insurance regulations nationwide from 1 July 2026, covering benefit levels, contribution rates and access to medical services.

Under the amended Law on Health Insurance, patients with 62 specified diseases or disease groups will be allowed to go directly to specialised medical facilities without a referral letter, whilst still receiving full Health Insurance benefits.

The list includes serious and rare conditions such as certain cancers, blood disorders, cardiovascular diseases, neurological conditions, metabolic disorders and organ transplant cases.

The statutory base salary will rise to $96.1 (VND2.53m) per month from the same date. As a result, Health Insurance will fully cover medical visits costing less than 15% of the base salary, raising the threshold to $14.4 (VND379,500) per visit.

Social Insurance benefits linked to the base salary will also increase. The childbirth or adoption allowance will rise to $192.3 (VND5.06m) per child, whilst the funeral allowance will increase to $961.4 (VND25.3m).

Pensions, Social Insurance benefits and monthly allowances for people already receiving them before 1 July 2026 will increase by 8%.

Those still receiving $133.0 (VND3.5m) per month or less after the increase will get an additional $11.4 (VND300,000) per month.

Benefits above $133.0 (VND3.5m) but below $144.4 (VND3.8m) will be raised to $144.4 (VND3.8m) per month.

Vietnam Social Security will also continue expanding digital services, allowing people to use chip-based citizen ID cards, the VssID app or VNeID instead of physical Health Insurance cards when seeking medical care.

($1.00 = VND26,300.01)