Amid the comprehensive cooperation framework between Vietnam and the US, Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has implemented many cooperation activities with its US partners via a number of channels, such as the US Embassy in Vietnam, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC). Via the US Embassy in Vietnam, in 2016, VSS sent a delegation to the US to study national databases, e-cards and the model of implementing social security policies.

Caption: VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh and USABC President and CEO Ted Osius exchange a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.

Via USAID, the two sides have had a long-term cooperation process in the field of social security. In November 2020, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the US and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of VSS, VSS and USAID signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in supporting VSS to improve centralized medicine bidding capacity, enhance the capacity of officers working in health insurance assessment, build a model of calculating and balancing the health insurance fund; and in transferring the Electronic Logistics Management Information Systems (eLMIS) in managing contracts and supplying medicine via centralized bidding, contributing to improving the efficiency in healthcare activities and ensuring social security for Vietnamese people.

Regarding the USABC, cooperation between the two sides has been implemented recently. Since 2019, VSS and the USABC held some activities in sharing experience in implementing the health insurance policy of the US, consulting experts about purchasing and using medicine safely and reasonably in medical examination and treatment using health insurance. However, these activities were still carried out on a small scale and failed to fully tap the cooperation potential and opportunities between the two sides to support the development of the insurance sector of Vietnam.

A meeting between the VSS and the USABC after the signing ceremony.

On March 8, 2022, in Hanoi, the VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh attended a working session, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with the USABC, led by its President and CEO Ted Osius, and leaders of leading US corporations which are investing in the region and in Vietnam. At the meeting, PM Chinh said Vietnam always attaches great importance to and wishes to continue deepening the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the US to a new level and more practically and effectively, on the basis of mutual respect and interests, contributing to peace, prosperity and stability.

After that, on March 9, VSS and the USABC signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation. It targets to enhance the cooperation between VSS and the USABC in the implementation of health insurance. The two sides will share common benefits and create a favourable environment for regular exchanges between the VSS and US partners, towards the goal of sustainable universal health insurance coverage; and create an environment for Vietnamese people to get access to safe, effective and quality healthcare and health insurance policies.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc. E. Knapper affirmed that thanks to this cooperation and other projects in the future, the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US will continue to be enhanced and develop to a higher level. He said he expected that in the future, VSS, as well as agencies and businesses of the two countries, will continue to cooperate in pioneering fields such as digital economy, cashless payment and social security towards sustainable development between the two countries.

The partnership between Vietnam and the US is developing strongly in terms of both breadth and depth. Besides many fields of cooperation such as trade, development, education, healthcare, energy and security, cooperation in social security is considered a promising field that has a key role in sustainable economic growth. This is also a new expectation of cooperation between Vietnam and the US in the future, heading towards strength and independence and cooperation with the common commitment to peace and prosperity./.