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Over the past 30 years, the SI policy has gradually shifted from voluntary to compulsory and is on the path towards universal social insurance for all citizens. This policy system is designed for various target groups to participate, with important contributions from the State, employers, and employees at different levels. The shared responsibility aspect has significantly changed public awareness, reduced dependency on the State, and increased the accountability of employers and employees, which in turn enhances the sustainability of SI. Particularly, the SI fund has become the largest financial fund outside the state budget, protected by the State, with the participation of tens of millions of citizens to ensure social welfare both now and in the future.

According to the monitoring report on the implementation of SI policy submitted by the Government to the National Assembly, the total surplus of the SI fund in 2023 reached nearly 1.2 trillion VND; the total accumulated fund of SI, HI and unemployment insurance (UI)  exceeded 1.25 trillion VND. The main forms of investment include purchasing government bonds, deposits, and certificates of deposit at commercial banks that are classified by the State Bank of Vietnam based on their credit ratings. In general, the balancing of revenue, expenditure, and investment to grow the SI and unemployment insurance funds is managed carefully to ensure safety and effectiveness. Additionally, fairness in the Social and health insurance participation is reflected in the principles of contribution-benefit, equality, and sharing. The retirement and survivor benefits fund, with its accumulation model, is a long-term fund that shares resources across generations of workers. The short-term insurance funds (sickness, occupational accidents and diseases, unemployment) share resources among workers within the same generation.

After 30 years of development, VSS has achieved many accomplishments and received numerous awards from the Party and the State for its contributions to social welfare. However, in the next phase, the implementation of social and health insurance policies faces several challenges such as: the low expansion and development of SI participation, and slow coverage of SI. Currently, only over 20 million people (about 42% of the workforce at the working age) participate in SI, while 30 million people (nearly 68%) at the working age have not yet participated in SI. If no changes are made, in the future, a large number of elderly people and those beyond working age will not receive SI benefits, placing a significant burden on families and society and negatively impacting social welfare policies.

Furthermore, despite the reduction in SI arrears compared to before, violations of SI law, tax evasion, debt accumulation, and fraud in SI practices remain prevalent in certain localities and businesses, which directly affect employees' rights and could destabilize the SI fund, thereby decreasing employees' trust in the social security policy. On the other hand, while the legal and policy framework for SI has been carefully built and improved, it has not kept pace with the evolving socio-economic situation of the country, failing to motivate and attract employees, particularly those in the informal sector, to join SI.

Over the past 30 years, VSS' social and health insurance policy implementation has shown clear progress. Initially, the policy was only regulated in one chapter of the Labor Code, but it has now been concretized into the Law on Social Insurance, contributing significantly to social welfare. The coverage of SI has been expanded, with the number of participants increasing each year; the revenue and SI fund have grown in line with the participant increase. The SI fund is used more effectively, with idle funds being invested to boost growth and contribute to economic and social development; pension payment are made fully and on time.

Under the Social Insurance Law, the scope of coverage has been expanded, including voluntary SI, which is linked to compulsory SI with the State's support. The State's role in SI activities is clearly defined, specifying the rights and responsibilities of employers, employees, and provincial Social Security office to ensure the full and timely implementation of SI benefits. The level of benefits is determined based on the amount and duration of contributions, with a sharing mechanism among participants.

Notably, the work of SI and HI implementation has achieved many outstanding results by institutionalizing the Party's policies and bringing them into practice, contributing to social welfare and ensuring timely pension payments for individuals across the country. In terms of the long-term benefits like pensions and survivor’s benefits, aside from government-funded pensions, the number of pension and survivor benefit recipients from the SI fund has grown significantly, from about 13,300 people in 1996 to 3.4 million today. While the number of pension and survivor benefit recipients has risen rapidly, VSS has ensured timely and accurate pension payments, contributing to social stability.

Based on public feedback and monitoring efforts, we have observed that VSS has actively embraced professionalism and modernity, meeting citizens' satisfaction. SI has made significant strides in policy development, playing a key role in stabilizing the country’s welfare system. The contributions of SI have helped stabilize employees' lives, reduce risks associated with illness,proffessional accidents, occupational diseases, unemployment, and help workers return to normalcy, find employment, and improve their living standards.

Moreover, social and helath insurance has also become an essential "tool" to redistribute products, support those in need, and contribute to social and political stability. Notably, SI and HI policy has paved the way for directing national development, significantly reducing the fiscal burden of providing welfare benefits to the elderly without pensions and monthly SI allowances. Thanks to SI, citizens have come to understand the importance of participating in SI and have actively joined.

To meet the requirements and tasks of the new development phase, especially with the implementation of the 2024 Social Insurance Law, VSS needs to guide units in the industry to actively propose solutions and connect with the National Assembly’s delegations for effective policy implementation. It is crucial to strengthen inspection, supervision, and awareness campaigns, aiming to expand the coverage sustainably towards universal social and health insurance, while ensuring the development trajectory is both urgent and strategic. Importantly, VSS needs to focus on improving the quality of its workforce to continue enhancing service quality, meeting increasing public satisfaction.

In the 30 years since its establishment, VSS has proven to be very appropriate for the practical situation. Over time, the SI and HI policies have become more refined, closely aligned with the realities of life. In addition to the principle of contribution to receive benefits, the SI and HI policies consistently show humanitarian aspects by caring for the poor, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, such as providing HI cards for the poor, children under 6 years old, and revolutionary contributors; supporting near-poor individuals, students, and farming households in joining HI; helping the poor and near-poor join voluntary SI. This is the "bright spot" of the SI and HI policies.

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After many years of implementing Law on Social Insurance, including short-term SI benefits, the policy has had a positive impact on protecting employees' legal rights and benefits, as well as improving their income and living standards in case of risks such as illness, maternity, and work accidents. However, short-term SI schemes have also faced some abuse, fraud, and misuse in healthcare, with patients and healthcare facilities sometimes abusing the HI fund by overusing tests, prescriptions, and unnecessary treatments.

Therefore, to establish a strong SI and HI fund, it must start with a correct understanding and full awareness from the citizens and businesses about these policies. Recognizing this relationship, Vietnam's SI system has organized awareness campaigns and addressed the concerns of citizens and employees regarding participation and benefits from SI and HI. Through these campaigns, the SI and HI laws have been better integrated into the lives of employees, and businesses' awareness has improved compared to previous years.

As SI coverage expands, the relationship between VSS, citizens, and businesses must be more closely coordinated, especially in processing claims for employees. To make the policy more attractive, the key is to have a dedicated, flexible workforce, ensuring the proper implementation of regulations... so that citizens and employees see the superiority of SI and participate more fully. Thus, the human element in implementing SI and HI policies plays a crucial role in attracting citizens and employees and encouraging them to comply with the law, thus expanding the scope of SI coverage as per Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW and other relevant legal provisions.

In the coming period, Vietnam's SI system needs to continue improving service quality, reform administrative procedures, and enhance service delivery, aiming to establish a reasonable and harmonious SI policy. When citizens and employees are truly valued, have easy access to policies, and receive quality services, it will affirm the role and position of Vietnam's SI sector in society.

Throughout the various stages of the country's development, the SI and HI policies have progressively developed to match the socio-economic conditions of each period. The legal system and policies on social welfare, including HI policies, have gradually met the spirit of the 2013 Constitution. Over the past 30 years, with the responsibility assigned by the National Assembly and Government, Vietnam's social security system has made significant efforts to implement the SI and HI policies effectively, achieving remarkable results.

Notably, the organizational model of Vietnam's social, health and unemployment insurance system has been increasingly perfected in line with the Party’s policy on reforming and streamlining the administrative apparatus. The communication of SI and HI policies has become more professional and effective, creating a noticeable shift in the awareness and actions of organizations and individuals regarding the role, responsibilities, and benefits of participating in SI and HI.

Interestingly, compared to some developed countries, achieving universal HI coverage took 40-80 years, but Vietnam has reached this goal in just a quarter-century. The number of people benefiting from SI and HI benefits continues to grow, with tens of millions of people receiving SI benefits and hundreds of millions benefiting from HI annually