JOINT CIRCULAR No. 25-TT/LB ON THE REGIME OF HEALTH CHECKS AND TREATMENT FOR OFFICERS, WORKERS, AND RETIRED MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO HAVE STOPPED WORKING DUE TO LOSS OF LABOR CAPACITY

JOINT CIRCULAR

On the medical examination and treatment system for cadres, workers, civil servants, and retired military personnel due to loss of working capacity

Decree No. 84-TTg dated August 20, 1963 of the Council of Ministers stipulates: "Workers and civil servants of the State who retire or leave their jobs due to loss of working capacity shall be entitled to medical examination and treatment at the place where they reside when they fall ill, and shall enjoy all medical examination and treatment benefits including medication and subsistence allowances according to the standards before they retire or leave their jobs. The cost of medicine and subsistence allowance (including outpatient cases) shall be covered by the health fund..."

However, currently, many cadres, workers, civil servants, and retired military personnel due to loss of working capacity still encounter difficulties when seeking medical examination and treatment when they fall ill.

To implement accurately the spirit of Decree No. 84-TTg of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Home Affairs guide the medical examination and treatment system and the management of medicine costs and subsistence allowances for those who have retired or left their jobs due to loss of working capacity as follows:

1. Cadres, workers, civil servants, and military personnel who have retired or left their jobs due to loss of working capacity residing anywhere (including temporary residence) shall be entitled to medical examination and treatment at healthcare facilities in that location as if they were still employed. When seeking medical examination, patients must bring along their medical record book, medical examination card, or pension receipt for disability.

Outpatient clinics of hospitals and health stations need to stock sufficient medicines to provide to patients. Avoid prescribing medicines for patients to purchase from pharmacies themselves and then reimburse them, aiming to reduce difficulties and save patients' time. Doctors and medical staff will only prescribe medicines for patients to purchase from pharmacies in cases where the patient needs medicines not available at the outpatient clinic. In such cases, patients will bring the pharmacy receipt to the health office of their ward, district, or town to register for medical examination and reimbursement.

If patients require subsistence allowances, doctors and medical staff at outpatient clinics of hospitals and health stations will note it in the medical record book and issue a subsistence allowance certificate for the patient to collect money from the health office of their ward, district, or town. The health office must retain the certificate as evidence of expenditure.

2. When cadres, workers, civil servants, and military personnel who have retired or left their jobs due to loss of working capacity are hospitalized, only the food expenses according to the standard for on-duty cadres and workers will be charged. Medicine and subsistence allowance costs will be covered by the hospital's operational budget. For those receiving monthly pensions under 18 dong, only the amount of the pension will be charged for food expenses. The difference in food expenses will also be covered by the hospital's operational budget.

3. Cadres, workers, and civil servants who have retired or left their jobs due to loss of working capacity and continue to reside far from local healthcare facilities in agricultural farms or enterprises shall be entitled to medical examination and treatment at the hospital or health station of that farm or enterprise. Costs for medicines and subsistence allowances for these cases will be covered by the operational budget of the hospital or health station.

4. For communes far from the district health office, if there is a medical officer responsible for the commune health station, the provincial health departments will base on the specific situation in their locality to define the authority and assign the commune health station the task of providing routine medical examination and dispensing medicines to the aforementioned subjects when they fall ill (without issuing prescriptions for patients). The commune health station will settle the monthly cost of routine medicines provided to these patients with the district health office. The district health office will guide the budgetary index for these commune health stations.

5. Annually, the War Invalids and Social Affairs Departments of cities and provinces are responsible for informing the provincial health departments about the number of retirees and those who have left their jobs due to loss of working capacity currently residing in their locality by ward, district, or town unit so that the health departments can base their budget planning for medicines and subsistence allowances for these subjects. The provincial finance departments will allocate the budget based on this plan according to the current standards for on-duty cadres and workers in the locality, while guiding and supervising the use of the budget.

6. Expenses for medicines and subsistence allowances for cadres, workers, civil servants, and military personnel who have retired or left their jobs due to loss of working capacity, as specified above, will be covered by the operational budget of the unit that provides them. If the unit is centrally managed, the expense will be covered by the central budget; if the unit is locally managed, the expense will be covered by the local budget.

The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Home Affairs request the People's Committees of regions, cities, and provinces to direct relevant sectors in their locality to implement this decree effectively.

Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported promptly to the joint ministries for study and resolution.

Regulations in Circular No. 1084-BYT/CB1 dated May 13, 1963 of the Ministry of Health regarding medical examination and treatment for cadres, workers, and civil servants who have retired or lost working capacity contrary to this joint ministry decree are hereby abolished.

This Circular takes effect from the date of issuance.