The Communist Party of Viet Nam and Government have paid due attention to building and implementing social security policies, considering them as both a goal and motivation to achieve political-social stability and sustainable development. Social security has been determined as an important part of social policies and been included in the country’s socio-economic development strategy. Ensuring social security is to ensure the socialist orientation of the market economy.

In the spirit of the Resolution of the Seventh Party National Congress on "comprehensive innovation in all aspects", in 1987, the Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education collaborated with the Ministry of Health to develop a pilot scheme on health insurance and proposed to the then Council of Ministers (now Government) to implement in some localities.

On October 26, 1990, the council issued Decision No 3504/KG, commanding the Ministry of Health, People’s Committees of provinces and cities to pilot health insurance at some medical facilities. After two years of piloting, on April 15, 1992, at the 11th sitting, the 8th National Assembly approved the amended constitution of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. In its Article 39, the constitution says: “Implementing health insurance creates conditions for all citizens to have healthcare.” This is a critical legal basis and a prerequisite for the implementation of health insurance policies in Viet Nam.

Since 2005, health insurance policies have been implemented under Resolution No 63/2005/NĐ-CP issued by the Government on August 13, 1998. By 2009, after 17 years, Viet Nam’s health insurance policies were consolidated toward the enactment of the Law on Social Insurance, laying a completed legal basis for universal health insurance.

Health insurance policies have always been seen as one of the most important pillars in social security and sustainable financial resources to protect and take care of people's health. Health insurance is a public financial mechanism for healthcare. The health insurance fund is formed from financial contributions based on risk sharing among participants, with the support of the state for disadvantaged groups and social policy beneficiaries; health insurance participants are entitled to benefits based on their medical examination and treatment needs./.