National Consultant to Provide Coordination Support on Health Insurance Policies Development

Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam

A NATIONAL CONSULTANT

To provide coordination support on health insurance policies development

I. BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT

1. Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Vietnam Activity

The global USAID LHSS Activity helps low- and middle-income countries transition to sustainable, self-funded health finance systems that support high-performing overall health systems. The LHSS activity in Vietnam will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to advance greater local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control. Led by Abt Associates, the four-year activity supports Vietnam in increasing its domestic financing for HIV and TB services in the context of declining donor funding, in using government resources more efficiently, and in assuming local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control activities. Specific objectives are: (1) Support the GVN to strengthen its public financial management systems for public sector health and find greater efficiencies in social health insurance (SHI), (2) Increase and improve the efficiency of domestic financing of HIV prevention and treatment services; (3) Strengthen the capacity of Vietnam’s supply chain management system; and (4) Integrate TB services into SHI.

2. Context of this assignment

The USAID Sustainable Financing for HIV project (2018 – 2020), the precursor project of LHSS, worked closely with and provided technical support to the MOH/DHI, MOH/Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC), and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) to create evidence of the negligible impacts on SHI liability when adding prioritized HIV prevention services to be covered through the SHI (PrEP package, HIV testing, and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission package) and advocate for the inclusion of the services into the SHI benefit package in the revised SHI Law. Currently, the MOH Department of Health Insurance is preparing for the SHI Law revision proposal package to be send to the National Assembly for their review, tentatively scheduled between September – October 2021. The LHSS project will continue to
provide technical assistance to the MOH/DHI in the final revision of the draft revised SHI Law and completion of the entire package of the SHI Law revision for the National Assembly’s approval. LHSS will also support MOH/DHI in the development of a new Decree on adjustment of the SHI premium rate, a new point proposed in the draft revised SHI Law that would take effect when the revised SHI Law is approved and comes into force.

Regarding the transition of the TB program to SHI, the MOH/DHI is the focal department in charge of supporting the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) in developing the needed policies and guidance by the MOH to enable the transition of TB services into SHI. In year 1, LHSS works closely with and providing technical assistance to the MOH/DHI to support NTP in TB transition activities such as the development of a circular on procurement and payment of TB drugs through SHI.

Please refer to the attached TOR for more details.

III. MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT

All deliverables must be reviewed and approved by the LHSS/Governance and Policy Lead. The Consultant can direct questions to the LHSS/Governance and Policy Lead throughout the consultancy.

IV. LOCATION AND TIMING

1. Location

The work will be carried out in Hanoi.

2. Timing

The assignment is planned for the period from March 2021 through September 2021.

V. REQUIREMENTS

1. Qualification requirements

• A bachelor's degree in health or a similar discipline.
• Understanding the policy development context of the health sector, in particular, the social health insurance is preferred.
• Good communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a team member and with minimal supervision.
• Language requirement: Vietnamese. The ability to speak and write basic English would be an advantage.

2. Equipment

The consultants use his/her computer and equipment as necessary to carry out the work.

To apply, please send your application documents to the following email: [email protected]

Deadline: 26th March 2021

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.