Policies on the work of caring for and improving people’s health have been officially approved by the 15th National Assembly through Resolution No. 261/2025/QH15.

Breakthroughs in salary and allowance regimes for medical staff

One of the most important highlights of Resolution No. 261 is the fundamental change in the remuneration regime to attract and retain high-quality human resources.

From 2026, the titles of medical doctors, traditional medicine doctors, odontologists, preventive medicine doctors, and pharmacists, upon recruitment, will be ranked immediately at salary level 2 of the corresponding professional title (instead of level 1 as previously prescribed). This regulation applies until a new salary policy replaces it.

In addition, the occupational preferential allowance regime has also been strongly adjusted. A 100% occupational preferential allowance level will be applied to two main groups:

• Medical staff regularly and directly perform professional work in specific fields: Psychiatry, forensic medicine, forensic psychiatry, pathology, and emergency resuscitation.
• Medical staff at commune-level health stations and preventive medicine facilities operating in ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, borders, islands, and areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions.

For medical staff at commune-level health stations and preventive medicine facilities not belonging to the above-mentioned regions, the minimum occupational preferential allowance level is 70%.

Flexible recruitment mechanisms and protection of medical staff

To solve the problem of human resource shortages at the grassroots level, the Resolution allows for the loosening of recruitment conditions. Specifically, when recruiting officials to work at commune-level health stations, regulations on the probationary period will not apply if the personnel meet two conditions: possessing a suitable practicing license and committing to work for at least 05 years. However, if the personnel do not fulfill the committed time, they will be forced to resign in accordance with regulations.

At the same time, the Resolution also emphasizes measures to ensure safety, honor, and dignity for medical staff, creating a solid legal corridor for physicians to work with peace of mind, minimizing the risks of violence in the medical examination and treatment environment.

Expanding Health Insurance benefits for the people

Not only focusing on human resources, but Resolution No. 261/2025/QH15 also brings many practical benefits to patients participating in Health Insurance (HI).

For the first time, the Health Insurance Fund will cover costs for screening, diagnosis, and early treatment of certain diseases, helping to shift the focus from treatment to proactive prevention.

In particular, HI participants belonging to near-poor households and the elderly aged 75 and older receiving social pension benefits will enjoy 100% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of HI benefits. The Resolution also sets a roadmap towards exemption from basic hospital fees within the scope of HI starting from 2030, demonstrating the profound humanitarian nature of social security policies.

Incentives for investment and infrastructure

Regarding state management, the health sector is given special priority in terms of land and finance. Provincial People’s Councils are empowered to decide on adjusting land use plans to serve urgent medical projects without waiting for the next planning period. This helps accelerate the construction and upgrading of facilities, meeting the increasing medical examination and treatment needs of the people.

Truong Phan Hong Ha – Center for Support &Continuous Training