Focusing on ensuring participants’ interests

Appreciating and acknowledging efforts to fulfill the assigned tasks of all cadres, officials and employees of the social insurance system of Hai Duong Province, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Hung said in 2021, VSS branches of the province, districts and communes focused on ensuring the interests of participants.  

Social insurance agencies focused on simplifying administrative procedures; applying information technology and carrying out digital transformation, replacing health insurance cards with the VssID app for digital transactions for medical examination and treatment; and providing information relating to social insurance and health insurance policies for workers and citizens in the province in a timely manner.

Adopting Resolution 68/NQ-CP, Resolution 116/NQ-CP, and Decision 23/2021/QĐ-TTg on supporting employers and employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial VSS agency promptly provided financial support for employees. The province has so far reduced insurance premiums for labour accidents and occupational diseases for 6,231 units with total amount of more than VND8.1 billion per month; provided financial aid for workers from the unemployment insurance fund with a total amount of VND872.672 million, helping workers to reduce difficulties amid the complicated development of the pandemic.

The Hai Duong Province’s VSS agency has also made many innovations in working methods, improving satisfaction for participants in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

As one of the sectors that implemented the earliest digital transformation in the province, its application of the VssID has created favourable conditions for people to participate in and benefit from social insurance and health insurance policies.

Vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Hai Duong province Nguyen Minh Hung

Flexibly mobilising all resources to increase voluntary social insurance and health insurance coverage

Ensuring social security for people was considered one of the key tasks of the province, according to Hung. It was defined as follows: 

First, building the social security programme during the 2021-2025 period, of which the target for social insurance and health insurance is aimed at improving the quality of social security, developing and completing the multi-level social security system in a flexible way.

Second, continuing to support people to participate in social insurance and health insurance;

- Continuing to support health insurance participants: supporting an additional 30 per cent of health insurance premiums and ensuring free provision for multidimensional poor households and nearly poor households; supporting an additional 20 per cent of health insurance premiums for households working in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and forestry with average living standards (they will get total support of 50 per cent of health insurance premiums); and supporting 70 per cent of health insurance premiums for old people between 70-80 years of age and waste collectors in hamlets and residential areas.

- Supporting 10 per cent of monthly contributions for poor and nearly poor households in rural areas to participate in voluntary social insurance.

Third, directing local authorities to build plans to synchronously implement reforms to extend the coverage rate of social insurance and unemployment insurance towards the target of universal social insurance coverage. Reviewing and speeding up the completion of the universal health insurance coverage roadmap. Adding the target and plan of implementing social insurance and health insurance policies to the province’s annual socio-economic development plans. Improving State management efficiency over social insurance and increasing coordination between relevant agencies in leading and guiding the implementation of social insurance policies and promptly handling emerging problems.

Fourth, strengthening leadership and direction over communications and information dissemination tasks on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies and regulations; enhancing information dissemination and having specific measures to mobilise farmers and workers in the informal sector to take part in voluntary social insurance and household health insurance; and continuing to implementing breakthrough solutions to expand the coverage of social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance and work accident and occupational disease insurance.

Fifth, enhancing the direction of authorised agencies at all levels in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies.

Sixth, organising activities to mobilise resources to support people to take part in voluntary social insurance and health insurance in order to increase the number of participants.

Enhancing coordination between authorities and social insurance agencies

Regarding viewpoints and direction of Hai Duong Province, Hung said in order to continue effectively implementing Resolution 21-NQ/TW and fulfilling social insurance and health insurance targets, the province aims to have 55 per cent of the working-age population participating in social insurance by 2025 and 65 per cent by 2030. The health insurance coverage rate is expected to reach 95 per cent of the province’s population by 2025 and 99 per cent by 2030. 

Accordingly, the common target is to effectively organise the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies; rapidly increase the rate of social insurance and health insurance coverage; complete universal health insurance coverage as planned; effectively manage the social insurance and health insurance funds; and continue supporting eligible people to take part in voluntary social insurance and health insurance.

Local authorities and relevant agencies will closely coordinate with the social insurance agency to implement comprehensive measures to resolutely expand participants of social insurance and health insurance; and build targets of developing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants in the provincial socio-economic development plans.

Fully implementing Party and State policies and regulations about social insurance and health insurance, ensuring interests for participants.

Renewing communication contents and methods to disseminate information about social insurance and health insurance policies and regulations./.