Health care is one of the most fundamental human rights. Together with the social and economic development, the peope’s living standard and life expectancy have improved, resulting in a rapid increase of the elderly population. Recent studies reveal many health issues of the old people in Vietnam, especially ones living in rural areas, which is attributed to the insuffi cient health facilities and health care quality. Based on the primary data and the data from the 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey by the Vietnam General Statistics Offi ce, the article describes the current situation of both physical and mental health of the elderly in Vietnam and analyzes the barriers in their healthcare access. It then suggests some policy implications for the improvement of healthcare accessibility for the rural elderly under Vietnam’s current context. Received 24 September 2019
published 18 December 2019