Vietnam Social Security: Fulfilling people's legitimate rights in social and health insurance (Illustration image)

Create maximum convenience for participants and policy beneficiaries

In order to meet the requirements of implementing social and health insurance policies in the new context and to create satisfaction for participants, in recent years, the VSS has regularly reviewed and reduced unnecessary files and procedures, maximally facilitating citizens and businesses in transactions with social security agencies; strongly transforming the working style to focus on serving; strengthening the application of information technology and comprehensive digital transformation; providing fully online administrative procedure services integrated on VSS’ online portal, and gradually integrating with the national online portal; and diversifying the forms of dossier reception (online, direct, and through public postal services) for the satisfaction of participating organizations and individuals. Almost all activities of the sector, as well as transactions of citizens, employees, and businesses with social security agencies, have been conducted in the digital space, enabling transactions to be carried out anytime, anywhere.

In addition, the VSS has strengthened leadership and guidance to local social security agencies to enhance their responsibility, spirit, and dedication in serving social, health, and unemployment insurance participants, fully and timely fulfilling the legitimate rights of the people. For example, in response to the recent increase in the number of people withdrawing their social insurance benefits all at once, leading to overload situations in some southern provinces and cities, the VSS promptly provided guidance to local social security agencies to create the most favorable conditions and ensure the full and timely fulfillment of the rights of employees in accordance with the law, closely monitoring the actual situation.

Accordingly, social security agencies in provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, have concentrated all resources and implemented many practical solutions suitable to the local situation to streamline the administrative procedures for one-time social insurance benefits, promoting administrative procedure reform, transparency, and convenience, saving time and costs for beneficiaries. Specifically:

1. Directing and thoroughly implementing the responsibility of all officials to receive and process documents from units and employees in accordance with regulations. Prohibiting the pushing or creating difficulties or guiding employees to submit documents elsewhere.
2. Publicly posting information on pano boards and placing them in visible locations for organization staff and participants to easily access and implement the following contents: Posting the address of where to submit one-time social insurance benefit applications (22 social security agencies in districts and towns and 97 post offices that receive one-time social insurance benefit applications); Pano boards to promote and guide online appointment scheduling with social security agencies; Pano boards to promote and guide submitting social insurance benefit applications online through the online public service portal.
3. Separating the reception of one-time social insurance benefit applications to ensure all applications from employees are received on the same day. There are no limits on the number of applications received per day. On Saturday mornings, social security agencies work and prioritize the reception of one-time social insurance benefit applications.
4. Employees are not required to schedule appointments before submitting their one-time social insurance benefit applications in person.

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The ultimate goal of the social insurance system in Vietnam is to ensure long-term social security for the people

The VSS always strives to provide the most favorable conditions for employees to participate in and benefit from social insurance policies, including one-time social insurance benefit withdrawals, and ensure compliance with regulations. However, in order to protect the long-term benefits of employees, the VSS recommends that employees consider not withdrawing one-time social insurance benefits so as not to lose their entitlements. Specifically:

- If an employee receives one-time social insurance benefits, they will not be able to count that time towards their future social insurance contributions, and will only be able to count the time from when they start contributing again. As a result, employees may miss out on the opportunity to receive a pension, or if they are eligible for a pension, it may be lower due to a shorter contribution period.

- Throughout their pension period, employees are entitled to free health insurance cards with up to 95% coverage of medical expenses.

- If a pensioner dies, their funeral expenses will be covered by a lump sum equal to 10 times the basic salary at the time of their death, and their family will receive a monthly or one-time survivor benefit.

- Contributions to the social insurance fund are valuable savings for employees themselves. If an employee is unable to participate in social insurance, they can preserve their contribution period for when they are able to contribute again, either through mandatory participation or voluntary participation with state support. During the preservation period, if the employee dies, their family will receive funeral benefits and survivor benefits according to regulations.

Therefore, leaving the social security system is giving up one's own entitlement to a comfortable retirement.

All social insurance reform measures in Vietnam, including the reception and processing of social and health insurance policies by the VSS, aim to provide the most convenience and maximum benefits to participants, regardless of their administrative division. This is a consistent goal and a guiding principle that the entire industry implements from central to local levels./.