In an effort to modernize healthcare policy and maximize the potential of native pharmacology, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has drafted a new circular to widen the list of herbal remedies, traditional formulations, and combined active ingredient-herbal medicines reimbursed by the National Health Insurance Fund.
Policy update indicator
Major Overhaul After an 11-Year Stagnation
The current framework governing health insurance coverage for traditional medicines has remained unchanged since 2015 under Circular 05/2015/TT-BYT (amended by Circular 27/2020). Health Minister Dao Hong Lan noted that the existing list encompasses 229 herbal and oriental remedies alongside 349 traditional herbal ingredients.
Under the freshly drafted circular, Appendix 1 lists 358 herbal and traditional medicines—an increase of 129 items compared to the current catalogue. Concurrently, the catalogue of raw herbal ingredients is slightly recalibrated to 344 items.
Official updates on national healthcare guidelines
Introducing Combined Pharmaceutical and Herbal Therapies
For the first time, a dedicated appendix detailing 35 combined medications (blending pharmaceutical active ingredients with natural extracts) has been formulated with specified reimbursement conditions:
- Ginkgo biloba: Proposed for reimbursement in managing peripheral arterial pain (intermittent claudication), diabetic retinopathy visual impairment, inner-ear disorders (tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss), and Raynaud’s syndrome.
- Silymarin: The milk thistle flavonoid extract will be covered across basic and specialized healthcare tiers.
- Curcumin: Covered for non-bleeding and non-perforated peptic and duodenal ulcers.
- Panax notoginseng saponins: 50% coverage is proposed for acute stroke recovery and post-cranial trauma or neurological surgery, restricted to durations between 10 and 21 days.
Standardizing Administration Routes and Injection Guidelines
A notable update in this regulatory revision is the formal classification of injectable routes covered by health insurance. This encompasses intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, intravenous, intra-articular, intraocular, intravitreal, intracavity, and acupoint injections.
Narrowing the Healthcare Expenditure Gap
According to Tran Thi Trang, Director of the Health Insurance Department, approximately 195 million insured medical check-ups were recorded in 2025, but traditional medicine accounted for only 3.3% (around 7 million visits). While national strategic objectives aimed for traditional medicines to represent 20% of total insured pharmaceutical expenses by 2025 and 30% by 2030, the current rate stands at a modest 5.42% (roughly 3,160 billion VND). The proposed revision is anticipated to significantly bridge this gap and encourage domestic medical strengths.
