These achievements have brought practical benefits for people, workers and businesses while helping to raise the management efficiency of State agencies regarding social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

On the occasion of the new year, Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Director General Nguyen The Manh spoke to the VSS portal about the implementation of tasks in 2022 and missions in 2023.

 VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh

In 2022, the world underwent many changes while the country continued to suffer impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Production and trade together with the labour market showed signs of declining. Also, many changes were recorded in the field of social security. In that context, how has the social insurance sector implemented social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies?

2022 was a year with many changes and difficulties for Vietnam’s social insurance sector. Global economic growth has declined sharply and there are signs of economic recession in many countries.

Domestically, the economy continued to recover, but difficulties and challenges outweighed opportunities and advantages; production and business activities are likely to be narrowed; diseases, climate change, natural disasters, storms and floods continue to develop unexpectedly, greatly affecting people's lives and production and business activities of enterprises.

In the field of social security, many changes in social insurance and health insurance policies had impacts on the sector’s operation. For example, the lowest level of contribution by voluntary social insurance participants increased from VND154,000 to VND330,000 from January 1, 2022 after the poor standard in rural areas increased.

63 provinces and cities have completed and established a steering committee to implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies

These changes in policies were the Government’s adjustments based on the socio-economic development foundation in order to ensure the stability and long-term development of the country with the expectation to encourage people to actively and proactively participate in social insurance and health insurance (which are considered humanitarian social security policies) so that people will not depend on State incentives and support. However, these changes have initially had some impacts on the tasks to expand the coverage rate of social insurance and health insurance in 2022.

With the determination to turn difficulties and challenges into motivations, the whole sector has always closely followed the direction and leadership of the Party, National Assembly, Government and the Prime Minister; and closely coordinated with ministries, sectors and authorities of localities to promptly take comprehensive solutions, focusing on innovation, improving quality and effectiveness of communication tasks and mobilising and developing the number of participants. As a result, the sector fulfilled set targets for the development of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants.

The number of social insurance participants in 2022 was estimated at 17.5 million, equivalent to 38.07 per cent of the labour force. The number of health insurance participants increased to 91.1 million, reaching 92.03 per cent of the total population. The number of unemployment insurance participants stood at over 14.3 million, equivalent to 31.18 per cent of the labour force.

2022 was the first year the VSS organised a ceremony to honour 190 outstanding businesses in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies during the 2017-2022 period

The coverage rate of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance continued to be expanded, meaning the social security network of the State grew bigger and more citizens benefitted from social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

These achievements not only helped to fulfil tasks assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister but also created a premise for the implementation of social insurance and health insurance development targets towards 2025. This demonstrated the determination of the whole sector in improving social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance coverage, contributing to building a firm social security network for people.

It can be seen that the sector gained impressive achievements in developing participants in 2022.  What are the results gained in other areas?

In 2022, Vietnam’s social insurance sector effectively implemented tasks and solutions in all fields with the aim of fulfilling all set targets.

The VSS continued to actively and proactively coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies in building and amending important draft laws relating to social insurance and health insurance policies such as the Law on Social Insurance (amended), the Law on Health Insurance (amended), the Law on Inspection (amended), and the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (amended), contributing to completing the legal corridor and creating favourable conditions to implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

VSS actively and proactively coordinated with the health sector to propose and implement measures to ensure financial sources for medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance for medical establishments

In order to effectively implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies, the VSS sent documents to the People’s Committees of 63 localities to ask them to coordinate in carrying out tasks such as assigning targets of developing participants for every commune and providing support for poor voluntary social insurance participants, helping to gain positive results in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in localities.

In 2022, Vietnam’s social insurance sector continued to strengthen public services, simplify administrative procedures and speed up online payment for beneficiaries, helping to ensure the interests of participants.

Particularly, amid COVID-19, the sector consulted and coordinated with authorities of localities to propose and take many measures to support workers and enterprises to overcome difficulties.

In 2022, the sector dealt with more than 95,000 dossiers to get retirement pensions and social insurance allowances; paid retirement pensions and insurance allowances for more than 3.3 million people; conducted payment of sickness, maternity, convalescence and health rehabilitation allowance for over 10.9 million people; settled unemployment insurance benefits for nearly 1 million people; and provided medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance for 151.4 million people.

An estimated more than VND47.2 trillion was earmarked to support and reduce contributions to social insurance and health insurance funds for employers and employees, accounting for 54.3 per cent of the Government’s support packages.

The whole social insurance sector has nearly 30 systems applying information technology to manage working processes

The VSS also proactively and actively worked with the health sector to propose solutions to ensure financial sources for medical establishments to provide medical services covered by health insurance, helping to maximise benefits for health insurance participants.

In order to raise awareness of abiding by social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance regulations, the VSS effectively took measures to collect late payments for social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums. By the end of December 2022, the VSS inspected 36,065 units, discovering 74,000 cases of violations and recovering nearly VND90 billion for social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance funds. It can be said that positive progress in insurance premium collection helped to protect the legitimate rights of workers and raise awareness of employers of abiding by laws and implementing related policies.

The sector also focused on promoting communication, helping to raise public awareness of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance regulations and policies.

The application of biometric technology to authenticate fingerprints on chip-based ID cards in medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance creates favourable conditions for patients, medical workers and health insurance inspectors.  

Last year, VSS for the first time organised a ceremony to honour 190 outstanding enterprises in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance regulations and policies during the 2017-2022 period. 

The VSS continued to successfully organise the programme to present social insurance books and health insurance cards for disadvantaged people nationwide. After a month of implementation, as of December 31, 2022, thousands of businesses and donors across the country joined hands with the sector to present 16,000 social insurance books and 120,000 health insurance cards for 136,000 disadvantaged people.

In 2022, the VSS also boosted bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities, gradually affirming the position and image of the VSS as a trustworthy partner and an active and responsible member of the ASEAN Social Security Association and the International Social Security Association.

Achievements made by the VSS in 2022 are comprehensive. Among those achievements, what are considered breakthrough achievements that bring the most benefits to participants?

All missions and achievements of Vietnam’s social insurance sector are aimed at bringing benefits for insurance participants.

Apart from regular tasks and main targets of the year, the sector also focused on speeding up digital transformation, bringing in breakthrough changes in its activities, and contributing to creating and building the digital social insurance sector in line with the e-Government orientation.

The signing ceremony between the VSS and the police sector on coordination mechanism in the field of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance

Last year, the sector resolutely operated the information technology systems towards the development of the e-Government. At present, the sector has nearly 30 systems applying information technology to manage professional processes with more than 20,000 accounts. The sector built and completed the database of over 98.7 million people and connected with nearly 13,000 medical establishments. More than 620,000 organisations and businesses used public services nationwide. The e-social insurance transaction system and the health insurance inspection information system receive around 300 million online transaction dossiers each year.

The VSS connected, shared and exploited information and data with the national database and professional databases of ministries, sectors and localities.

These are important premises in organising and implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies on the digital environment and serve as a foundation for digital transformation and the application of new technology such as Big Data and AI.

By the end of December 31, 2022, the Vietnam social insurance sector and donors presented 16,000 social insurance books and 120,000 health insurance cards for disadvantaged people.

The application of online transactions has helped to reduce time and costs for people and businesses as well as help them to check processing time, information and data, contributing to improve information transparency and boosting the efficiency in managing and preventing frauds and abuse of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance funds.

Illustrative image (internet)

The Ministry of Information and Communications has recently reported on the Digital Transformation Index (DTI) of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies and provinces and centrally-run cities in 2021. Accordingly, the VSS ranked 3rd in the ranking of 17 ministries and sectors providing public services, up one place compared to DTI 2020.

The above-mentioned benefits demonstrate that the digital transformation of social insurance industry is on the right track, contributing to better serving social insurance and health insurance participants.

Thank you for your time!