Localities asked to raise health insurance coverage to over 95 percent by 2025

People with health insurance register for medical check-ups. (Photo: congly.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Government has urged provinces and centrally-run cities nationwide
to raise the health insurance coverage rate to 95.15 percent by 2025.

Specifically,
according to Decision 546/QD-TTg which has just been signed by Deputy Prime
Minister Vu Duc Dam, the health insurance coverage rate is expected to
increase from 92.6 percent in 2022 to 93.2 percent in 2023, 94.1 percent
in 2024, and 95.15 percent in 2025.

The
capital city of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau,
Bac Lieu and Bac Giang provinces must reach a health insurance coverage rate of
over 90 percent this year, according to the decision.

Vietnam
currently has covered 91 percent of the population with health
insurance.

The
decision also said poor and near-poor households will be provided with
free health insurance.

Localities
should regularly review the information about labourers and enterprises’ salary
payments and handle those evading paying health and social insurance premiums.

The
has been assigned to ensure that all
students will be covered with health insurance by 2023 and consider the health
insurance coverage rate of students as a criterion to assess education
institutions.

Vietnam Social
Security (VSS) must urge localities to come up with solutions to increase the
health insurance coverage. Meanwhile, the was asked to
direct medical centres to improve their check-up and treatment quality, the
attitude of medical workers to health insurance holders and fee payment
processes of patients using health insurance.

The
Government asked provincial and municipal People’s Committees to envisage
solutions to achieve the aforesaid goals.

Health
insurance was first introduced in Vietnam in 1992. Generally, insurance
companies have tie-ups with the leading hospitals so as to provide cashless
payment for the insured. In case the insurance company has no tie-ups with the
hospital, they reimburse the cost of treatment incurred by the insured. The
Government also promotes by providing a deduction from income
tax./.