Previously, the local people were given health insurance cards for free under the Government’s financial support.

However, following Decision No 131/QD-TTg issued on January 25, 2017 on the approval of the list of disadvantaged communes in coastal areas and islands that need support from the Government, the people have no longer received the health insurance cards for free since January 1, 2022.

Cao Van Banh, head of Self-Management Group No 6 of Thanh Thai Hamlet, Bao Thuan Commune, Ba Tri District, said the hamlets have many poor households but when he persuaded them to continue participating in health insurance, they agreed.

This is because they knew the benefits of having insurance cards, he said.

“I told them that if they have an insurance card, they will enjoy a lot of benefits. For example, if they get a life-threatening illness that costs them VND100 million (US$4,399) for treatment, they will only have to pay VND20 million (US$880), then the insurance agency will cover the remaining VND80 million (US$3,520) for them,” he said.

Illustrative photo: Ben Tre Province strives to maintain

and develop health insurance participants in poor communes.

Nguyen Thi Tu Trinh, a resident of Bao Thuan Commune, said she decided to continue participating in health insurance to avoid interruptions to her benefits.

Trinh said: “Making efforts to save money to participate in health insurance is believed to be one of the good ways to take care of my own health.”

Last week, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Decision No 353/QD-TTg, in which Ben Tre Province has 21 communes in extremely difficult circumstances that need support from the Government.

Local people in the communes, including Bao Thuan Commune, will continue to be granted free health insurance cards.

Ensuring social security for local people

Duong Van Thang, director of Viet Nam Social Security’s branch in the province, said local people’s awareness of the benefits of the health insurance policy has improved, so the number of people participating in health insurance is increasing.

Thang said the branch has co-operated with the local health sector to ensure the benefits of health insurance participants.

The service to welcome and pay health insurance benefits for participants has now been reformed to create the most favourable conditions, he said.

Besides, the participants also enjoy the flexibility of policies and laws on health insurance, including the expansion of the benefits of health insurance participants and the convenience of medical examination and treatment using health insurance cards, he said.

Illustrative photo

In 2013, the province had over 765,000 people participating in health insurance, accounting for 60 per cent of the population. The number has now reached 1.2 million people, accounting for 92.41 per cent of the population.

In 2013, the province had only 146,000 people participating in household health insurance. The number has reached nearly 390,000 participants by the end of last year.

The average growth rate of people participating in health insurance in the 2013-2021 period is about 7.7 per cent, of which household health insurance increases by an average of 16 per cent annually.

In 2021, the health insurance fund covered about VND674 billion (US$29.6 million) in medical expenses for health insurance participants.

Especially, the health insurance fund already covered high medical expenses for some patients such as:

- Patient P.T.B, born in 1997, of An Binh Tay Commune, Ba Tri District, had medical expenses of VND5.68 billion (US$250,000) covered by the health insurance fund.

- Patient P.C.T, born in 1959, of Thanh Trieu Commune, Chau Thanh District, had medical expenses of VND1.4 billion (US$61,627) covered by the health insurance fund.

- Patient L.T.S, of Ward 8, Ben Tre City, had medical expenses of VND1.1 billion (US$48,422) covered by the health insurance fund.

- Patient T.T.H, born in 1964, of Ward 8, Ben Tre City, had medical expenses of VND1.07 billion (US$47,102) covered by the health insurance fund./.