At the working session, Director of Binh Dinh Social Security Office, Vo Nam, reported on the implementation of tasks in the first six months of 2023. As of June 13, 2023, Binh Dinh province had 128,942 compulsory social insurance participants, reaching 92.17% of the plan assigned by the VSS, an increase of 3,694 people (2.95%) compared to the same period in 2022. The number of voluntary social insurance participants was 15,822 people, reaching 71.57% of the plan assigned, a decrease of 2,550 people (13.88%) compared to the same period in 2022. The number of participants in health insurance was 119,165 people, reaching 89.56% of the annual plan, an increase of 3,808 people (3.30%) compared to the same period in 2022. The number of people participating in health insurance was 1,416,248 people, with a coverage rate of 94.47% of the population, reaching 97.57% of the plan assigned.

The Director of Binh Dinh Social Security Office, Vo Nam, presented a report on the implementation of tasks in the first six months of 2023 at the working session.

The province has provided benefits to 27,131 people under social insurance schemes and 4,828 people under health insurance schemes. Binh Dinh Social Security Office also manages regular monthly payments for 31,510 people under social insurance schemes and has reviewed and paid medical expenses for 1,092,840 people under health insurance schemes (104,990 people for inpatient treatment and 987,850 people for outpatient treatment). The total amount paid for social and health insurance schemes is 1,913.039 trillion VND, of which 1,391.256 trillion VND is for social insurance schemes and 521.783 trillion VND is for health insurance schemes.

Director Vo Nam also reported that the number of people participating in social and health insurance, especially compulsory social insurance, tends to decrease due to various reasons, including the difficult production and business situation of enterprises, particularly those in the footwear, wood processing, and garment industries affected by conflicts in some countries around the world, the impact of the pandemic, the increase in prices and inflation, resulting in increased late payments for social, health, and unemployment insurance. Workers with unstable jobs and low incomes have difficulty participating in social and health insurance schemes, especially in voluntary health insurance.

In response to the situation, Binh Dinh Social Security Office has closely cooperated with relevant departments and agencies to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee to issue leadership documents and directives on implementing social and health insurance policies in the province. The Director of Binh Dinh Social Security Office has participated in working delegations led by the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to work directly with enterprises, grasp the operating situation of the enterprises, and resolve difficulties and obstacles in implementing social and health insurance policies.

Binh Dinh Social Security Office has also reported to the Provincial People's Committee a list of units that have been late in paying social, health, and unemployment insurance for more than three months, for the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to propose handling measures for units that deliberately violate labor and social insurance policies in accordance with regulations. Binh Dinh Social Security Office has also advised district-level People's Committees to strengthen their guidance on implementing social and health insurance policies in their localities, and provide guidance on implementing social, health, and unemployment insurance policies in the province. Binh Dinh Social Security Office has also cooperated with communal-level steering committees on implementing social and health insurance policies to achieve the targets for increasing the number of social insurance participants and the health insurance coverage rate set by district-level People's Committees.

The Office has proposed to the Provincial People's Council to pass a resolution to support a 30% reduction in health insurance premiums for households living in poverty (currently, the central budget supports 70% and the provincial budget supports 15%) and a 30% reduction in health insurance premiums for households engaged in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and traditional crafts with average living standards (currently, the central budget supports 30%). This is expected to be implemented after being approved at the 11th session of the Provincial People's Council.

The Office will continue to cooperate with the Department of Health to strengthen measures to control health insurance costs, implement the inspection process as prescribed in Decision No. 3618/QD-BHXH dated December 12, 2022, of the VSS’ General Director, and strictly implement the guidance of the Provincial People's Committee in Official Letter No. 3274/UBND-VX dated May 23, 2023. Binh Dinh Social Security will also control health insurance costs and efficiently manage the health insurance fund to ensure timely funding for health insurance services for participants.

Leveraging local strengths, determined to fulfill assigned tasks

In his remarks at the working session, VSS’ Deputy General Director Chu Manh Sinh recognized and highly appreciated the achievements of Binh Dinh Social Security Office in the first half of 2023, especially in advisory, coordination, and taking advantage of the attention and guidance of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee.

VSS’ Deputy General Director, Chu Manh Sinh, delivered a directing speech at the meeting

VSS’ Deputy General Director Chu Manh Sinh also suggested that the current mandatory social insurance development work is facing difficulties due to the general situation, and Binh Dinh Social Security Office needs to focus on identifying specific potential groups to promote and develop voluntary social insurance, advise and propose the province to have policies to support funding for voluntary social insurance premiums to encourage people to participate, strengthen the implementation of Project 06, synchronize and authenticate citizen information between the national insurance database and the national population database, continue to promote the tradition of solidarity, maintain discipline, and serve the people with a positive attitude. He expressed confidence that with the direction and high determination, Binh Dinh Social Security Office will successfully fulfill the targets and assigned tasks by the VSS in 2023./.