Viet Nam News HCM CITY — Farmers and workers in the informal sector are often reluctant to buy voluntary social insurance because they do not understand its benefits and lack knowledge about the programme, according to the Việt Nam Social Security agency. Voluntary social insurance regulations, which took effect in 2008, provide insurance for many low-income farmers and informal-sector workers. If participants pay social insurance premiums for at least 20 years, men over 60 and women over 55 will be entitled to pension payments after they retire. As of the end of last year, the country had 221,000 holders of voluntary social insurance cards. The Government targets having more participants, including 23 million people who work in agriculture and nearly 14 million labourers in the informal sector. Although the programme provides coverage to society’s most vulnerable groups, many intended beneficiaries are unable to participate or know little about the benefits. … [Read more...] about Informal workers wary of opt-in social insurance
Social insurance card
81.7 percent of population covered by health insurance
81.7 percent of population covered by health insurance. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Some 81.3 million people across Vietnam have been covered by health insurance by the end of May, up nearly 21 million people from 2012 or 35.6 percent and representing 81.7 percent of the population. The information was unveiled by the Vietnam Social Security at a conference to review the 5-year implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No.21-NQ/TW on enhancing the Party’s leadership over social and health insurance work between 2012 and 2020. The number of health insurance holders last year exceeded the goal set by Resolution No.21-NQ/TW. The number of compulsory social insurance participants was estimated at more than 13.8 million people, an increase of 3.25 million people from 2012 and accounting for 25.8 percent of the workforce. The number of voluntary social insurance card holders totalled 240,000 people while 11.7 million people participated in the unemployment … [Read more...] about 81.7 percent of population covered by health insurance
HCM City: Over 12,440 firms owe insurance premiums
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – More than 12,440 enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City owed social insurance, employment insurance and health insurance premiums totaling over 2.7 trillion VND (118.2 million USD) as of June 2018, making up 4.2 percent of the annual collection plan. The information was revealed by Director of the HCM City Social Security Phan Van Men at a conference in the city on June 19 to review the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in the first six months of 2018. He said 2,440 businesses failed to pay the insurance premiums worth 523 billion VND in over six months while nearly 10,000 others owed social insurance insurance fees from two to six months. He added that 387 billion VND (16.9 million USD)out of the total debt amount could not be retrieved, coming from 1,570 dissolved and bankrupt businesses. In the first half of 2018, the city’s Social Security conducted inspections over … [Read more...] about HCM City: Over 12,440 firms owe insurance premiums
No new health insurance cards next year: VSI
A sample of a health insurance card. No new health insurance cards will be issued from 2019, according to Việt Nam Social Insurance. — Photo vov.vn Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — No new health insurance cards will be issued from 2019, according to Việt Nam Social Insurance (VSI). Nguyễn Hoàng Phương, deputy director of the Information Technology Centre at VSI, said at a press conference on Wednesday that the VSI system would continue to update participants’ data without the need to change the card every year as in the past. The social insurance agency will renew the validity of the cards in the system and send the list to card holders’ management units, Phương said, adding that the cards provided to insurers in 2017 and 2018 will continue to be used in the following years. Individuals and organisations can look up information, such as the participation process, validity of the card and health … [Read more...] about No new health insurance cards next year: VSI
8,149 health insurance cards to be handed out to the poor
Hanwha Life Vietnam, in collaboration with the Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients in Ho Chi Minh City, signed a cooperation agreement to donate free healthcare cards to improve living conditions and access to healthcare services for the poor. Back Jong Kook presents 8,149 health insurance cards to Tran Thanh Long, chairman of the Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients in Ho Chi Minh City The VND1.4-billion ($70,500) programme will donate a total of 8,149 health insurance cards to the poor in the four provinces of Nghe An, Ca Mau, Kon Tum, and Lam Dong. At the signing ceremony, more than 4,500 health insurance cards were handed out to disadvantaged households in the central province of Nghe An. Hanwha Life Vietnam has been implementing the project for five consecutive years since 2014. Back Jong Kook, CEO cum chairman of the Members’ Council of Hanwha Life Vietnam, said: “As an insurance firm, we realise the importance of community healthcare, especially … [Read more...] about 8,149 health insurance cards to be handed out to the poor
Expand social insurance coverage, Deputy PM urges
He pointed out that social insurance coverage in the country stood at just 29 per cent of the population, far below the target of 50 per cent by 2020 set by the Party Central Committee’s Resolution 21-NQ/TW.Therefore, the VSS must step up efforts to increase the number of participants, he said.The social security agency should also collaborate with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security to ensure transparent bidding for medicines covered by health insurance schemes as well as other medical commodities, Huệ said.He praised the sector’s achievements in 2017, noting that the collection, estimated at VNĐ290 trillion (US$12.8 billion), was the highest since 2007, when the Law on Social Insurance took effect.The VSS has also had a fruitful year in its efforts to reform administrative procedures, apply information technology in management and effectively implement online public services, he said.VSS Deputy Director Phạm … [Read more...] about Expand social insurance coverage, Deputy PM urges
VSS: Social insurance coverage on the rise
Meanwhile, 291,000 people have bought voluntary social insurance and health insurance has covered 86% of the country’s population, exceeding the target assigned by the Government by 30%. To encourage people to join voluntary social insurance, the government will offer a premium discount of 10-20% to poor people depending on their circumstances from January 1, 2018. VSS Deputy General Director Pham Luong Son said that the VSS ranks second among 20 ministries and sectors pioneering in applying information technology in operations. It has operated an IT centre and a customer service centre to receive feedback from customers and deal with their complaints. The VSS plans to issue electronic health insurance cards for customers to reduce administrative procedures and save time. Son said that social insurance debts in 2017 are estimated at VND5.73 trillion (US$253 million), down 0.8% compared to 2016., saying that the new regulations on applying criminal punishment to insurance … [Read more...] about VSS: Social insurance coverage on the rise
Social welfare needs work
HÀ NỘI — Implementing social welfare needs the involvement of the community and businesses so as to contribute to social stability, socio-economic development and national security, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said on December 21. He made the statement at a meeting reviewing five years of implementation of Party Resolution 15-NQ/TW, which focuses on social welfare and other similar policies between 2012 and 2020. The meeting, chaired by the deputy prime minister who is head of the Steering Committee on Resolution Implementation, also discussed tasks for next year. A report was presented showing that after five years of implementation, preferential policies for people who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s liberation and social welfare policies had been put in place. Ministries, sectors and localities have co-operated to complete legal documents and realise policies encouraging social consensus and … [Read more...] about Social welfare needs work
Deputy PM calls for business involvement in social welfare
At the meeting (Photo VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has stressedthe need to get people and businesses involved in social welfare to create highsocial consensus for economic development and national defence-security.He was speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on December 21 to review the five-yearimplementation of Resolution 15/NQ-TW adopted by the Communist Party of Vietnam(CPV)’s 11th Central Committee on social policy issues in 2012-2020.The Deputy PM urged ministries and localities to continue reviewingpolicies of poverty reduction and social welfare.On employment, Deputy PM Dam said it is necessary to improve employmentquality and labour productivity through encouraging new firms, thus creatingmore jobs, and developing human resources training. He asked localities to examine the vocational training system in 2018,especially for rural workers, and improve social infrastructure at industrialparks.The education and training work needs the involvement of … [Read more...] about Deputy PM calls for business involvement in social welfare
Half of HCMC residents have household health insurance
Half of HCMC residents have household health insuranceHoang Nhung HCMC – The HCMC Social Insurance Agency has issued over 1,600 household health insurance cards so far this year, so around half of the city’s residents are now medically insured thanks to this policy. Luu Thi Thanh Huyen, deputy director of the HCMC Social Insurance Agency, said about 81% of local residents have taken part in the health insurance program. But this figure is below the nation’s average of 82%. Among 6.7 million medically insured residents in the city, more than five million receive partial or entire assistance from the State. Meanwhile, those volunteering to join the program make up a fraction, she noted. It is hard for the municipal government to have 90% of residents gaining access to medical insurance in the coming time. The HCMC Social Insurance Agency has tried to help workers rent homes so that they can purchase household health insurance. For example, if workers who have temporary … [Read more...] about Half of HCMC residents have household health insurance