The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is striving to increase health insurance coverage to 91 million people, or 92% of the national population, by the end of 2022, according to VSS Deputy Director General Le Hung Son.
The deputy director-general said about 19 million people, or 37% of the working population, had enrolled in health insurance by the end of September 2022, an increase of more than 530,000 people compared with the end of 2021.
A staff checks patients’ health insurance cards at Duc Giang General Hospital in Hanoi’s Long Bien District. Photo: Thanh Hai/ The Hanoi Times |
Currently, health insurance had covered over 87 million people or 88% of the population. Meanwhile, over 14 million had enrolled in unemployment insurance, equivalent to 28% of the workforce, 627,000 people more than in late 2021, Son added.
“The collection of social, health, and unemployment insurance premiums and the coverage rate basically increased year-on-year. In the time ahead, the insurance industry will continue to promote administrative reform, apply information technology in professional activities, and create favorable conditions for social insurance and health insurance enrolment as well as claiming benefits," Son said.
He stressed that the VSS will focus on expanding health insurance coverage, mainly towards individual social security beneficiaries, and domestic beneficiaries, and making an effort to have 100% of students enrolled in health insurance.
"This is the eighth year of implementing the (amended) Law on Health Insurance which sets out a number of breakthrough provisions that have brought about drastic changes in developing health insurance policies," Son stressed.
He stated that around 92% of the population would enroll in health insurance by the end of this year and the rate would increase to 95% by 2025 in accordance with the set goals.
The Ministry of Health is coordinating with Vietnam's Social Security to develop personal electronic health records that will help Vietnamese citizens manage their own health information throughout their lives, proactively prevent disease and take the initiative in taking care of their own health, Son said.
According to the Hanoi Social Security, the number of local citizens with health insurance has increased rapidly in the city, from 552,000 in 1995 to nearly 7.5 million by the end of June 2022 (up around 13 times), representing coverage of 92%. Meanwhile, the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance was 1.9 million people, an increase of 5% over the same period in 2021. The number of voluntary social insurance members was more than 37,200 people, almost 11 thousand more than in the same period of 2021 or 5.2% of the target. As the benefits of health-insured people have increasingly expanded and the quality of medical examination and treatment has been improved, more and more Hanoi residents have applied for health insurance. The results have contributed to ensuring social welfare and improving the quality of health care for the people in the capital city. In addition, through measures to maintain the sustainability of health insurance and increased communication efforts, Hanoians are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of obtaining health insurance. |
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