He was speaking at a monthly VSS conference to review performance on September 7.

According to VSS reports, as of September 6, more than 14.8 million people have joined the social insurance scheme nationwide, accounting for 29.82 per cent of the labour force and reaching 83.89 per cent of the target.

Among those, there were more than 13.6 million people joining compulsory social insurance and more than 1.1 million others joining social insurance voluntarily.

The health insurance scheme has attracted more than 85.2 million participants, covering 87.33 per cent of the population.

Illustrative image (source: internet)

Sixteen provinces and cities recorded an increase in the number of compulsory social insurance card holders compared to last year.

The number of voluntary social insurance card holders has risen in thirty-three provinces and cities.

Hà Nam, Hà Tĩnh, Hải Dương, Hải Phòng, Hưng Yên, Vĩnh Phúc, Nam Định, Thái Bình và Thanh Hoá recorded an increasing number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants.

The unemployment insurance scheme has proved to be effective in stabilising livelihoods of unemployed workers and their families amid the complicated development of COVID-19 which has pushed a lot of people into unemployment.

In August alone, there were more than 483,400 unemployment benefit recipients nationwide.

About 7.2 million healthcare check-ups and treatment were covered by health insurance in August.

The VSS, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the National Assembly’s Ethnic Affair Committee proposed the Government continue to cover health insurance premiums using the State budget for 2.6 million people from ethnic minority groups.

Challenges

The VSS also pointed out a number of shortcomings in implementing social insurance policies including obstacles in health insurance coverage payment, health insurance fund overspending and profiting.

The number of social, health and unemployment insurance participants in August declined compared to July due to the pandemic.

In the last four months of the year, the VSS will struggle to hit the targets without innovative solutions and determination from relevant agencies.

Duong Van Hao, head of VSS’s Department of Contribution Collection – Insurance Book and Card, said if the pandemic continues, the number of labourers this year is predicted to decrease by 2.8 million. More than 800,000 people will lose their jobs. As many as 326,000 people will have labour contracts suspended. About 1.4 million others quit their jobs without wages.

This will largely affect the expansion of insurance membership, he said.

About 94 per cent of labourers who withdrew from social insurance scheme are from 19 southern localities, especially HCM City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai, Hao said.

Speeding up

In order to realise membership expansion targets, the VSS asked its agencies to implement a series of tasks and solutions.

The agencies have been asked to conduct supervision on insurance debts and strive for 100 per cent of students nationwide to be covered by health insurance.

The VSS will step up online communication campaigns, especially on potential groups which are able to join voluntary social insurance scheme and household health insurance, and promote the use of the digital social insurance app VssID.

At the meeting, VSS deputy general directors proposed VSS agencies focus on assisting employers and employees during this difficult time in order to avoid labour market disruption, which might lead to failing to realise VSS targets.

VSS deputy general director Tran Dinh Lieu said among 1.3 million labourers who lost their jobs, about 50 per cent will return to their hometowns. Local authorities must have solutions to call for their participation on voluntary social insurance scheme.

According to VSS general director Nguyen The Manh, in spite of challenges posed by COVID-19, the sector has made efforts to achieve positive outcomes.

He said completing assigned tasks in the remaining four months of the year was a big challenge but there are still opportunities.

If we know how to grab opportunities, positive outcomes will come, he said.

He asked VSS agencies to remove difficulties in health insurance payment for non-traditional medical facilities and tighten discipline, uphold responsibilities and serving attitudes of VSS officers, especially heads of the agencies./.