Health Insurance Utilization in Vietnam: Exploring Barriers and Determinants in the Mekong Delta

Long Hau Le; Duong Bich Tuyen; Thi Tuoi Bui; Tran Trong Vinh Nguyen; Thi Thanh Tam Nguyen

doi:10.66445/twe.v44i2.279792

Authors

Long Hau Le Department of Finance and Banking, School of Economics, Can Tho University, Vietnam
Duong Bich Tuyen School of Economics, Can Tho University, Vietnam
Thi Tuoi Bui S.I.S International General Hospital Can Tho, Vietnam
Tran Trong Vinh Nguyen School of Economics, Nam Can Tho University, Vietnam
Thi Thanh Tam Nguyen School of Economics, Nam Can Tho University, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66445/twe.v44i2.279792

Keywords:

Health Insurance Card, Health Services, International Hospital, Binary Logistic Regression

Abstract

Health insurance constitutes a vital component of social security policies, intended to protect residents’ health and well-being. Nevertheless, despite its widespread availability, the use of health insurance cards among patients in Vietnam remains limited, influenced by a range of objective and subjective factors. This study aims to investigate the key determinants shaping patients’ decisions to utilize health insurance cards for medical examination and treatment. Data were gathered through structured interviews with 400 patients at a distinguished private hospital in the Mekong Delta, utilizing a pre-designed questionnaire and a convenience sampling method. The binary logit regression analysis reveals several significant findings. Notably, older patients demonstrate a greater propensity to rely on health insurance to mitigate medical expenses, reflecting heightened health concerns with age. Additionally, the occupation of patients plays a pivotal role in their decision-making process; individuals employed in sectors such as education, training, and retail trade exhibit a markedly higher likelihood of using health insurance compared to those in other fields, possibly due to stable income or job-related healthcare requirements. Furthermore, as patients transition from low-income to middle-income status, the probability of health insurance utilization rises, suggesting that modest income improvements enhance access to insured services. Drawing on these insights, the study proposes targeted recommendations to bolster patients’ engagement with health insurance for medical examination and treatment in hospital contexts, aiming to address barriers and optimize policy effectiveness.

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