In an attempt to save time for patients in examination and treatment and thereby reduce patient overloading at large hospitals, the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency will issue new health insurance cards with bar codes for use in October. The new move will make HCMC the first locality in the country to use such a system, Cao Van Sang, the director of the agency, told Tuoi Tre. The new card will also help cut down the time needed for health staff to enter necessary information on cards into computers and ensure the accuracy of the information stored, Sang said, adding that last year saw 88,000 cases in which card information was erroneously entered into computers. Such errors led to difficulties and inaccuracy in following, recording and making payments of medical costs for cardholders, he said. Sang said he believes that once the waiting time for patients at hospitals is cut down, it will contribute to easing the current patient overload at large hospitals. The official also answered questions from Tuoi Tre in relation to the new cards.  

Q: What are the advantages of the new card over the current one? Cao Van Sang: With a card with a bar code, health staff can store the necessary data of the patient more rapidly and more accurately by simply using a card reader. Such accurate and sufficient information will better serve management, statistics and payment between hospitals and social insurers.  Next month, patients will simply show their new card along with a kind of personal paper with their photo at reception counters at heath facilities, where staff will then handle the card with a card reader. That’s all. That means the reception step is quick. In brief, health insurance cards with bar codes benefit three parties: patients, health facilities and insurers.Q: Are health facilities prepared to use the new kind of card? Cao Van Sang: Our agency has worked with the city Health Department on issuing the new card, a plan to provide health facility with card readers, and other issues related to using the new card. Accordingly, all health facilities that provide medical services to patients with health insurance cards will use the new card. Each of them will equip themselves with one-three card readers, which cost around VND7 million (US$330) each, and will be at the expense of each health facility.Q: Can you tell us more about the plan to issue the new card? Cao Van Sang: The Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency will first issue 1.4 million new health insurance cards from October 1 for students whose existing cards will expire on September 30. On January 1, 2014, we will issue 1.8 million more cards for civil servants and employees at businesses and agencies, whose existing cards will expire on December 31, 2013. As for retirees and children under 6 years old, since their current cards have a validity of 6 years, our agency is working on a way to transform their cards into cards with bar codes. It is expected that by the end of 2014, all people with health insurance in HCMC will have the new cards.