Participants at the meeting also included Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Tan Hoa and heads of local departments, agencies and the provincial Social Security.

Coordination to ensure social security

Speaking at the meeting, Director of Long An Social Security Tran Son said, thanks to direction from local authorities and the VSS, as well as the coordination of relevant departments and agencies, the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in the province has gained positive results. The number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants keeps increasing annually, insurance premium collection often exceeds targets and participants’ benefits are ensured.

In 2021, the number of social insurance participants was 332,642, equivalent to 32.32 per cent of the province’s labour force, including 14,056 people participating in voluntary social insurance. As many as 1,572,086 people participated in health insurance, raising the health insurance coverage to 91.10 per cent of the population, exceeding the set target by 0.1 per cent.

In 2022, as of March 31, there were 332,267 people participating in social insurance, accounting for  32.28 per cent of the labour force, including 12,748 voluntary social insurance participants. The number of health insurance participants was 1,546,324.

The achievements were attributed to the attention and close guidance from local authorities and the VSS as well as coordination from relevant departments, agencies, organisations, businesses and local people in effectively implementing social security policies.

 Director of Long An Social Security Tran Son speaks at the meeting

Long An Social Security has also paid great attention to administrative reform, application of information technology and implementation of online public services. It has also coordinated with local medical establishments to connect medical check-up and treatment data and carry out online assessments and payment of medical examination and treatment costs covered by health insurance. By the end of last December, all medical establishments had been connected to the system.

Long An Social Security has also promoted communication to raise public awareness of laws and policies relating to social insurance and health insurance.

 VSS Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu speaks at the meeting

Developing social insurance, health insurance sustainably

VSS Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu asked the provincial People’s Committee to continue to pay attention to and direct the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in the province, focusing on guiding relevant departments and agencies to work with the province’s Social Security agency to further develop the number of social insurance and health insurance participants; enhance inspection and supervision over the use of health insurance fund; and improve medical examination and treatment quality to contribute to develop social insurance and health insurance sustainably, helping local citizens benefit from the Party and State social security policies.

Praising the efforts of Long An Social Security, VSS Deputy Director General Lieu said amid the context of post-pandemic recovery, the province Social Security needs to have more effective measures and methods, particularly in administrative reform, to meet people and businesses’ satisfaction, towards the goal of sustainable development of the social insurance sector.

Stressing the role of social insurance and health insurance policies in ensuring social security and socio-economic development, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Tan Hoa said Long An always pays attention to and directs the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies. The province also has many policies to attract investment and takes measures to improve administrative reform and promote the application of information technology as well as focuses on building e-government, contributing to socio-economic development.

Vice Chairman of Long An People’s Committee Pham Tan Hoa speaks at the meeting

However, due to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortcomings remain in the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies, including social insurance and health insurance debts and ineffective use of health insurance funds.

In the future, Long An Province will try to enhance the management and guide authorities at all levels to effectively implement social insurance and health insurance policies and fulfil set targets, ensuring participants’ benefits, he said.

Head of the supervision delegation Hoang Quang Phong, who is Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke highly of the attention and direction of the provincial authorities in social security tasks in general and in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies in particular. Provincial authorities have issued many documents guiding the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies, bringing in huge efficiency and contributing to stabilizing people’s living conditions and ensuring socio-economic development.

He praised Long An Social Security’s efforts in coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to implement social insurance and health insurance policies.

Head of the supervision delegation and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hoang Quang Phong chairs the working session

Long An Social Security has also paid social insurance and health insurance allowances for participants in a timely manner.

However, the supervision delegation also noted difficulties and challenges facing the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in the province in the future. Head of the delegation Phong proposed local authorities continue to direct and take more drastic and effective measures to fulfil set targets.