ABSTRACT
During more than twenty years of Doi moi implementation, the average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of Vietnam was about 7 percent during 1990 to 2015, which helped to increase GDP per capita by more than tenfold and turned the country from a poor to a low-middle-income country since 2008. Along with the Law on the Elderly, the Health Insurance Law stipulates the rights of proportion of older persons (OPs) to health insurance. In particular, for those aged 80 and over, their health insurance premiums are paid either by the Vietnam Social Security or by the state budget. For inpatient services, higher costs prevent access to services. However, once health status risks life, households usually seek solutions to save their members, including OPs. It is financially burdensome for OPs without health insurance to access healthcare as costs of care are increasing.
