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Study to increase HI Premium subsidies for vulnerable groups towards universal HI Coverage

According to Decision No. 1468/QĐ-TTg, the Government has set nationwide HI coverage targets of 95.98% in 2026, 96.86% in 2027, 97.76% in 2028, 98.67% in 2029, and 100% in 2030. Specifically, in 2026, the HI coverage rate is targeted at 96.25% for Hanoi, 96% for Ho Chi Minh City, 99.36% for Cao Bang Province, 97% for Lao Cai Province, and 98.47% for Dien Bien Province, among others. By 2030, all provinces and centrally governed cities are expected to achieve 100% HI coverage.

To achieve these targets, the Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Health to take the lead, in coordination with relevant ministries and sectors, in studying and proposing measures to increase HI premium subsidies for policy beneficiaries, near-poor households, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, while improving the legal framework governing HI to ensure the sustainability of the scheme and increase the proportion of the population participating in HI.

The Ministry of Finance shall be accountable to the Government and the Prime Minister for organizing implementation; deploying effective measures to expand HI participation with a view to achieving universal HI coverage by 2030; developing guidance for local authorities on calculating HI coverage rates; and providing implementation guidance to facilitate the achievement of the assigned targets.

The Ministry of Finance shall coordinate with the Ministry of Health in proposing to the Government and the Prime Minister solutions, mechanisms, and policies related to expanding HI participation, HI contribution collection, and implementation arrangements, ensuring policy stability to facilitate medium- and long-term budget planning.

The Ministry of Finance shall direct Vietnam Social Security (VSS) to innovate communication methods and content and improve the effectiveness of communication, dissemination, and legal education on HI implementation in the new period, so that Party committees, authorities, mass organizations, offices, organizations, and the public gain a better awareness of the significance, humanitarian nature, and importance of HI, as well as every citizen's shared responsibility to participate in HI, with greater emphasis on household-based HI participation.

Administrative procedures shall be reformed to provide the most convenient conditions for people to enroll in and contribute to health insurance, and to complete administrative procedures in HI  through fully online public services. Data connectivity and sharing shall be strengthened to support state management of HI, while information technology infrastructure shall be upgraded to ensure the stable operation of the HI Payment Review System.

Assigning HI coverage targets to the commune level to strengthen local accountability

Based on the targets specified in this Decision, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall submit them to the People's Councils at the same level for incorporation into annual and long-term socio-economic development resolutions, programmes, and plans; assign HI coverage targets down to the commune level; assume responsibility before the Prime Minister for implementation; direct relevant departments, offices, units, People's Councils, and People's Committees at the commune level to develop implementation plans and solutions to achieve the assigned targets; and regularly exchange and provide information on employees and wages in enterprises operating within their jurisdictions for review, verification, and handling of HI contribution evasion and delayed contribution payments.

The People's Committees shall submit proposals to the People's Councils at the same level for allocating local budget resources and mobilizing appropriate resources to provide additional financial support for HI contributions for participants in the locality beyond the level subsidized by the state budget in accordance with regulations, specifically as follows:

Priority shall be given to providing additional support for groups already receiving state budget subsidies for HI contributions based on regulations, including: members of near-poor households; pupils and students; members of grassroots security and public order protection forces; members of households engaged in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and salt production with average living standards as prescribed by law; village health workers; village midwives; part-time workers at villages and residential groups in accordance with law; ethnic minority people residing in communes that are no longer classified as areas with difficult or exceptionally difficult socio-economic conditions; recipients of the titles "People's Artisan" and "Meritorious Artisan" under the Law on Cultural Heritage; victims as defined under the Law on Prevention and Combat against Human Trafficking; and persons with disabilities and older persons who are not yet entitled to HI policies under applicable regulations, in order to increase HI participation among these groups.

In addition to the above groups, the Decision also encourages local authorities to proactively provide additional support for other groups within their management authority in order to further expand HI coverage, with the goal of achieving 100% population coverage by 2030./.