Ministry of Health Urges Expanded Cashless Payments in Health Care

The rollout of cashless payments for hospital visits and medical services continues to face numerous challenges, especially at the primary care level where information technology infrastructure is not yet integrated and citizens have not formed the habit of using cashless methods. The Ministry of Health has urged units to accelerate digitization of payments across the entire health system. According to a report from the Ministry of Health based on surveys of more than 800 healthcare facilities, including general and specialized hospitals, community health centers, preventive medicine centers, and primary health care facilities, 95% of the surveyed units have implemented a combination of cash and cashless payments. Cashless payments are carried out via methods such as QR code scans, bank transfers, debit/credit cards, online applications, and national public services; QR code scanning and bank transfers are dominant. In some central-level and provincial hospitals, the share of cashless payments has reached high levels, with units recording 70–90% of hospital-fee transactions conducted electronically. This indicates a clear shift in patient habits as well as the efforts of medical facilities to streamline service processes. In Hanoi, several units achieved high cashless payment rates such as Duc Giang General Hospital and Thanh Nhan Hospital. In Bac Ninh province, in Q1 2026, total transactions were 330,000; cashless transactions accounted for about 270,000. Of the 135 billion dong total transaction value, 105 billion dong was cashless. Not only in big cities, this trend is gradually spreading to the local level; many hospitals have implemented a synchronized electronic payment system connected with hospital management software, helping reduce errors in revenue and expenditure and shortening the time to complete procedures for patients. Instead of queuing at the cashier, patients can complete payment with a few simple steps on their mobile phones, which is particularly meaningful in the context of rising patient numbers, reducing pressure on healthcare staff and improving the patient experience. In addition, cashless payments not only bring convenience for patients but also improve management efficiency in medical facilities. Digitizing financial transactions helps hospitals monitor and control cash flow, reduce errors, and increase transparency. Payment data are stored and linked to management systems to improve governance and decision-making. However, the Ministry notes that there are still some challenges in implementing cashless payments at lower-level facilities. IT infrastructure is not synchronized; some segments of the population, especially the elderly, are still hesitant or not accustomed to electronic payment methods. Additionally, data interoperability between systems needs further improvement to ensure synchronization and information security. These issues need to be addressed in the near future to make cashless payments truly widespread across the health system. To promote this process in the coming period, the Ministry of Health requests units to accelerate the rollout of cashless payments at all levels of examination and treatment, especially at provincial and local levels—where there is still room for expansion but also many difficulties in infrastructure and user adoption. Along with that, standardize and connect cashless payment systems with hospital management software, ensuring data interconnectivity between stages from reception, examination, diagnostics to hospital fee payments, aiming for a closed, convenient process for patients. The push to increase the use of digital technology, diversify payment methods such as QR codes, e-wallets, and bank cards, while ensuring information security and data protection throughout the operation. At the same time, strengthen coordination between medical facilities, banks, payment intermediaries, and tech companies to improve the technical infrastructure, upgrade service quality and expand deployment. The Ministry also notes the need to tie the cashless payment rollout with core digital transformation tasks in the health sector, such as electronic medical records, electronic health books, and health databases, thereby forming a consistent and modern digital health ecosystem.