Proposal seeks more treatment aid for patients with cancer, kidney failure and other serious illnesses

Da Nang voters want treatment support to begin before patients reach the final stage of cancer or kidney failure, saying many families face heavy costs long before then.

The voters asked the Health Ministry to consider assistance based on the severity of the illness, the length of treatment and each household’s economic circumstances. They said limiting support to patients at stage four does not reflect the financial burden carried during earlier stages, particularly by poor and near-poor households and low-income workers.

In its response after a National Assembly session, the Health Ministry said Decree 20/2021 and related guidance do not create a separate monthly social allowance specifically for people with serious illnesses such as cancer or kidney failure. The rules also do not state that a patient must be at stage four to receive a monthly allowance.

Under the Law on Persons with Disabilities and Decree 20/2021, people classified as having severe or especially severe disabilities can receive monthly social assistance. Patients with serious illnesses qualify if a disability assessment council determines that they meet either classification. Provincial People’s Committees can also ask provincial People’s Councils to approve support for other disadvantaged groups, depending on local socioeconomic conditions and budget capacity.

The ministry said it had recorded the voters’ request and would assess it while improving social-assistance policies. At a late-August workshop on health financing, Health Insurance Department Director Tran Thi Trang said health-insurance funds remain limited while contribution rates have stayed unchanged for years. Experts proposed diversifying funding, including examining whether part of tobacco, alcohol and sugary-drink tax revenue could support disease prevention.