Health insurance expected to cover 91.58 percent of population

Up to 91.58 percent of the national population are expected to join health insurance in 2021, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS). (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Up to 91.58 percent of the
national population are expected to join health insurance in 2021, according to
the (VSS).

The sector also aims to raise the rates of labourers participating in social
insurance from 32.7 percent to 35.2 percent, and unemployment insurance from 27
percent to 28.5 percent.

To that end, the sector will continue with and information-technology
application, as well as artificial intelligence to better serve people and
businesses.

It will also revamp the communications work to raise
public awareness of social insurance, while intensifying inspections over
social and payment of enterprises.

At a meeting of the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing (VNCA) on January 15,
VSS Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu said Vietnam aims to provide social
insurance coverage for all elderly people nationwide by 2021.

According to a report of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs,
Vietnam had nearly 13 million elderly people (aged 60 and above) in 2020,
accounting for 12 percent of the population, with about 1.98 million aged over
80, and approximately 7.7 million elderly people living in rural areas.

The State budget spent about 18 trillion VND (779.69 million USD) implementing
social assistance policies for the elderly in the community. Specifically, more
than 1.8 million elderly people received monthly allowances, over 1.4 million
enjoyed allowances as national contributors, and 3.1 million are enjoying
pensions and social insurance benefits. In addition, 12.1 million senior
citizens currently have health insurance cards.

The VNCA highly appreciated the efforts made by the Vietnam Association of the
Elderly (VAE) and its local chapters in creating conditions for the elderly to
participate in cultural, musical and sports activities, while urging for more
active support from all-level Party committees and authorities in the work.

At the meeting, VNCA members agreed that in the time ahead, ministries, sectors
and localities should focus on implementing policies related to the elderly in
close association with multidimensional poverty elimination policies./.