Currently, along with the increase in the number of new cases of home treatment COVID-19 infected cases, hundreds of thousands of people are in need of a certificate of leave to enjoy social insurance (sickness benefits, convalescence and health rehabilitation regime). Localities, especially in Hanoi, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, etc. have a large number of COVID-19 patients treated at home, who are facing difficulties in applying for the certificate of leave of absence enjoying social insurance. Since, according to current regulations, this certificate is issued by medical facilities, while the majority of F0 workers under treatment at home are only issued with a certificate of completion of isolation issued by local authorities or commune health stations, these documents do not meet the standards to serve as a basis for application to enjoy social insurance benefits.

VSS gets all resources available to facilitate F0 employees who are treated at home to enjoy social insurance benefits (Illustrative image)

The service goal of Vietnam's social insurance industry constantly puts the rights and interests of participants in social and health insurance first. When employees need support and sharing from the social insurance fund (contributed by employees), it is necessary to quickly pay to support workers to overcome immediate difficulties. Over the past time, timely grasping the difficulties of employees in applying for documents from health establishments to carry out procedures for social insurance benefits, VSS has proactively sent written reports, requesting the Ministry of Health for solutions to handle the problems arising above in order to create favorable conditions for employees to enjoy the social insurance benefits.

Recently, the Ministry of Health has submitted a written request to the Government to issue a Resolution on the recognition of 7 types of documents (including: 1- A decision on home isolation issued by the local government; 2- A certificate of completion of isolation period issued by the local government; 3- A test certificate (quick test or PCR) with positive results for SARS-CoV-2 issued by medical facilities; 4- A certificate of COVID-19 infection of the commune health station, mobile medical station, community COVID team, health care for agencies/enterprises; 5- Certificate of leave for social insurance benefits issued by commune health station, mobile health station but issued back to when the employee has quit his job to treat COVID-19 at home; 6- Decision approving the list of completing concentrated medical isolation; 7- Confirmation letter of COVID-19 treatment of field hospitals) being valid as a certificate of leave to enjoy social insurance benefits, so that the social security agency has a basis to make a dossier for enjoying sickness benefits for employees with COVID-19.

In case the Resolution is not issued, the Ministry of Health proposes that the Government assign the Ministry of Health to authorize the Minister of Health to recognize the 7 types of documents mentioned above as valid as the certificate of leave to enjoy social insurance and regulate forms, authorize and issue these 7 types of papers in the Circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 56/2017/TT-BYT detailing the implementation of the Law on Social Insurance and the Law on Occupational Safety and Health in the health sector.

Thus, the Ministry of Health has also taken steps to administrative reform, contributing to promoting the flexible process of settling benefits for employees. Accordingly, a number of proposals and recommendations of the VSS have been absorbed by the Ministry of Health in the process of finalizing the draft amendment to Circular No. 56.

Vietnam's social insurance industry is also ready to apply administrative reform, shorten the process, and prepare funding and human resources to receive and settle the social insurance benefits for F0 employees as soon as it is instructed by the Government, the Ministry of Health about valuable papers such as certificates of leave to enjoy social insurance. VSS will promptly direct social security agencies at all levels to closely coordinate with medical facilities and related units to quickly resolve and ensure the interests of employees since the Circular's issuance date.

During this period, VSS recommends employees without a personal account should urgently open one so that once the guiding Circular is issued, money will be directly transferred to an F0 employee's account with sufficient documents regarding convalescence or health rehabilitation allowance after sickness; both ensuring timely and transparent delivery to employees, and meeting the Government's policy of non-cash payment, as well as ensuring the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic./.