The delegation included Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Security Le Hung Son and heads of some units of Vietnam Social Security; the director and vice directors of Nam Dinh Social Insurance; and representatives from local medical establishments and businesses.

Vice chairman of the Management Board of the Vietnam Social Security Nguyen Van Cuong speaks at the meeting

At the meeting, Director of Nam Định Social Insurance Nguyen Van Dung reported on the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in the province. During the 2020-2021 period, the number of people participating in social insurance and health insurance increased remarkably, exceeding the set target. In 2020, the total number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants reached 1,630,196, up 32,423 people in comparison with 2019 (equivalent to an increase of 2.03 per cent). The figure in 2021 was 1,674,657, up 44,263 people (or an increase of 2.7 per cent) in comparison with 2020; and the rate of health insurance coverage is 92.8 per cent. Collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums always exceeded the set targets (100.6 per cent in 2020 and 100.2 per cent in 2021).

Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Social Security Le Hung Son speaks at the meeting.

During the 2020-2021 period, the province actively enhanced administrative reform, application of information technology, e-transaction, public services and cashless payment. As of March 31, 2022, more than 4,100 units in the province registered e-transactions (equivalent to 95 per cent of the total number of units participating in social insurance and health insurance in the province); and over 11,000 people benefitted from retirement pensions and allowances via bank accounts. The province’s social insurance also actively implemented the Government resolutions to support labourers and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and paid attention to communication tasks, inspection and management over the use of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance funds and achieved positive results.

At the meeting, the director of Nam Truc District Social Insurance and a representative from the Amara Shoe Joint Stock Company reported on their implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance and gave some recommendations to the Management Board of Vietnam Social Security.

Director of Nam Dinh Social Insurance Nguyen Van Dung speaks at the meeting

Representatives from the supervision team and leaders of units of the Vietnam Social Security assessed that the Nam Dinh Social Insurance has closely followed the direction of Vietnam Social Security in implementing its tasks and achieved many encouraging results. However, difficulties and challenges remained and they suggested some solutions to help the province’s Social Insurance agency carry out social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies more effectively in the future.

Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Security Le Hung Son spoke highly of the achievements of the province’s Social Insurance. However, he said, the development of social insurance participants still failed to meet the province’s potential, urging Nam Dinh Social Insurance to have specific and resolute measures to promote this task.  

The province’s Social Insurance also needed solutions to manage medical examination and treatment fees covered by health insurance.

A view of the meeting

Concluding the meeting, vice chairman of the Management Board of the Vietnam Social Security Nguyen Van Cuong applauded the achievements made by the Nam Dinh Social Insurance during the 2020-2021 period.

However, he said with a population of 1.8 million people, including nearly one million of working age, the social insurance coverage rate of Nam Dinh remained low. Therefore, the province’s Social Insurance needed to be more flexible and creative in tapping the provincial conditions to increase the coverage rate, fulfilling the target set by Party Resolution No 28-NQ/TW about reforming social insurance policies.

He also pointed to the need for the province’s Social Insurance agency to enhance consultancy tasks and closely follow the provincial authorities’ direction to mobilise the involvement of the whole provincial political system in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies; and speed up communication to raise awareness among citizens and labourers about the benefits of insurance policies.

The supervision delegation of the Management Board of the Vietnam Social Security works at Nam Dinh General Hospital.

Later the same day, the delegation of the Management Board of the Vietnam Social Security held a working session with the Nam Dinh Province General Hospital about providing health examinations and treatment for local citizens using health insurance. The delegation heard reports and answered questions relating to many issues, including the use of the health insurance fund, the transfer of patients to hospitals at higher levels and the mobilization of private investment in medical equipment./.