On the side of the MoH, the attendants included the Deputy Ministers: Do Xuan Tuyen, Tran Van Thuan, Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Le Duc Luan and representatives of relevant units. On the side of the VSS, the attendants included Deputy General Directors: Tran Dinh Lieu, Dao Viet Anh, Le Hung Son, Nguyen Duc Hoa, Chu Manh Sinh and the heads of affiliated units.

Work closely to ensure the benefits of health insurance participants

Emphasizing the consensus and results achieved in the coordination between the two sectors over the past time, at the Conference, VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh said that in 2022, the MoH and the VSS has well implemented the Regulation on coordination between the two branches in formulating and organizing the implementation of policies and laws on health insurance, making an important contribution to the protection and care of people's health.

The VSS and MoH have agreed on a plan to coordinate the implementation of the health insurance policy in 2023

According to the General Director, under the leadership of the Party and State, over the past time, the implementation of policies and laws on health insurance in our country has achieved important results. By the end of 2022, health insurance coverage has reached 92.04% of the population (0.04% higher than the target in Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP) and is 1 out of 7 socio-economic indicators that exceeds the 2022 plan assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. The health insurance fund is managed and used effectively, ensuring the best interests of the insured according to the Law.

The coordination in formulating, amending, supplementing and perfecting the health insurance policy has achieved many positive results, clearly showing the effectiveness of the coordination between the two branches. On the basis of consensus and agreement, the two branches have been proactive in proposing to the Government to promulgate and implement solutions to promptly remove and ensure funding for medical treatment covered by health insurance for facilities providing medical services that bring maximum benefits to health insurance participants according to regulations, notably: Resolution No. 144/NQ-CP dated November 5, 2022 on ensuring drugs, medical equipment and the payment of medical expenses covered by health insurance; developing and issuing guidelines for effective implementation of health insurance policies, minimizing difficulties and obstacles in the implementation process in localities.

In addition, one of the outstanding coordination activities is the application of information technology, digital transformation in the reform of medical treatment procedures, payment of health care costs covered by health insurance to facilitate participants. Currently, the whole country has over 13,000 health care facilities covered by health insurance that electronically connect with the Health Insurance Assessment Information System of the VSS; 95.4% of health care facilities are available for people to use the chip-mounted ID card to replace the paper card in healthcare covered by health insurance, according to which there have been more than successful 10.5 million times of looking up health insurance information with the chip-mounted ID card.

Leaders of the two branches presented congratulatory flowers

Strive for the goal of universal health insurance coverage

On the basis of the results of the cooperation that has been achieved and the actual situation of organization and implementation of the health insurance policy, General Director Nguyen The Manh proposed a number of key tasks that the two sectors need to coordinate in implementing in 2023, such as: developing and completing legal policies (proposing to amend the Law on Pharmacy, Law on Health Insurance, Decree No. 146 and other documents); solving difficulties and obstacles in terms of mechanisms and policies in payment of medical expenses; considering and guiding a number of problems in the payment of health care costs covered by health insurance for people with tuberculosis, in online bidding, and medical equipment covered by health insurance.

At the conference, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan consented the evaluation of the results of the implementation of the health insurance policy over the past time by the VSS General Director. The Minister affirmed that the close coordination between the two sectors has brought positive progress in the implementation of health insurance policies, such as building legislation, resolving difficulties in medical care covered by health insurance, coordination with other ministries, etc. in order to reach a common voice for the interests of health insurance participants.

Defining the tasks in 2023 that a great number of existing problems need to be solved, Minister Dao Hong Lan agreed with the proposal of the VSS. At the same time, it is emphasized that the heaviest task at this time is to evaluate the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance to make appropriate amendments, and strive to synchronize the legal system so that the Law on Medical Treatment and the Law on Health Insurance can go hand in hand smoothly in implementation. The amendment of the Law on Health Insurance requires consensus between the two sectors in both policy formulation and implementation. “The two sides need to work closely to ensure the best interests of health insurance participants and the balance and sustainable development of the health insurance fund. Since balancing the health insurance fund is not only the responsibility of the VSS but also the state management task of the MoH.", Lan emphasized.