Title: Behaviour of outpatient and inpatient toward health payment: the case of Mekong Delta (Vietnam)

Authors: Tu Van Binh

Addresses: University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and CFVG, 59C Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract: Based on the survey of Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) in 2018 and 2020, quantitative models are employed and derive that the usage of health insurance is significantly associated with out-of-pocket expenses charged for each visit to outpatient and inpatient services. People with voluntary insurance spend less on medical or hospital costs than people without health insurance. In addition, out-of-pocket expense of outpatient would increase by using inpatient services, but the opposite problem is not found. Overall, health insurance benefits by reducing the large out-of-pocket expenses of the poor people in the Mekong Delta. However, income is elastic with respect to out-of-pocket payments. People have higher incomes, they tend to use faster, more costly diagnostic services and also more expensive foreign drugs. The finding is a good reference for policymakers who should think of the improvement in the poor's health insurance with favourable insurance ranges.

Keywords: health insurance; out-of-pocket expenses; Vietnamese healthcare system; Mekong Delta; Vietnam.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2025.146189

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2025 Vol.51 No.1, pp.104 - 119

Received: 14 Nov 2022
Accepted: 25 Jan 2023
Published online: 09 May 2025 *

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