Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – As much as 91.2 percent of the population in the northern province
of have joined health insurance, surpassing the target the locality has
set for 2020.
Under
Decision 3125 of the provincial People’s Committee on the popularization of
health insurance in the 2014-2014 and towards 2020, the province aims for 90
percent of locals participating in health in 2020.
To
this end, the province has issued and implemented various policies supporting
locals to take part in health insurance, including assisting 100 percent of the
households living close to the poverty line to buy the insurance since 2013,
and aiding the poor and those with fatal diseases in , meal
and travel cost when they stay at hospital.
The
committee has also decided to provide assistance to a number of other groups
such as students and the elderly aging from 60-80, while issuing health
insurance cards to the poor, households living near the poverty line and those
from ethnic minority groups living in poor communes.
According
to a report by the committee, in 2012, the province had 629,452 people joining health
care insurance, equivalent to 64.6 percent of its population. As of the end of
2018, the number was 953,284, accounting for 88.6 percent of the population. At
the end of May, it increased to 994.274, raising the
to 91.2 percent of the local population, up 4.7 percent compared to the goal
assigned by the Government, and surpassing the province’s target in
popularizing health insurance in 2020 by 1 percent.
The
committee assessed that the health insurance payment has been implemented in a
timely, safe, full and accurate manner to the right beneficiaries, easing their
difficulties when facing diseases as well as when becoming older.
The
provincial Social Insurance Agency has coordinated with the provincial
Department of Health as well as health care facilities to provide health care
services and manage health insurance fund, while carrying out verification of
health care service fees and speeding up administrative reform, thus creating
optimal conditions for and ensuring the interest of people joining health care
insurance.
So
far, the province’s health insurance find has paid health check-up and
treatment fees to over 4.7 million people with total amount of over 2 trillion
VND (86 million USD).
However,
the rate of people working in small- and medium-sized enterprises, co-operatives
and business households joining health insurance has yet to reach 100 percent.
In
the province, the number of people buying health insurance has remained lower
than the potential, while staying unequal among districts and cities. The
reason behind the situation is that many households still have low and unstable
income, and they only think about buying health insurance when there is a
family member facing diseases.
At
the same time, many companies have yet to pay attention to the rights of labourers,
as they have avoided buying health insurance for them. In the meantime, the
quality of health care services in some local facilities has remained poor,
failing to meet locals’ demands or win their trust.
In
order to continue effectively implementing health insurance policies, in the
future, the provincial Social Insurance Agency will give advice to the
provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee and People’s Council in issuing
documents on expanding health care insurance coverage and directing sectors and
localities to continue prioritizing resources to complete targets in
popularlising the insurance in 2020.
Meanwhile,
the goals will be associated into socio-economic targets of each locality. The
health insurance verification will be intensified with more inspections to
detect violations and give timely handling measures. The agency will also work
closely with the health care sector to enhance the quality of services for
those who join health insurance right from the local
level.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
