VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh at the working session

Collection and participant development of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance exceeded the same period last year

Director of Hanoi Social Security Office Phan Van Men said in the first nine months of 2023, despite facing many difficulties and challenges, the Hanoi Social Security Office has actively focused on consultancy tasks for the municipal People’s Committee and the People’s Council and the Steering Committee for the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies.

The office promoted the collection of social insurance and health insurance contributions and increased the number of participants, as well as handling social insurance and health insurance policies. It also coordinated with relevant departments and agencies to enhance communications to raise public awareness of the advantages of the social security policy of the Party and State.

Accordingly, the office has gained positive results.

The work of collection and development of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants increased compared to the same period in 2022. The number of mandatory participants in social insurance was over 2 million, equivalent to 94.82 per cent of the target assigned by the VSS and increasing by 76,700 participants year-on-year. The number of voluntary participants in social insurance was about 78,319 or 76.14 per cent of the plan, a rise of 8,928 participants year-on-year.

The number of health insurance participants reached nearly 7.8 million, an increase of 214,781 participants compared to the same period last year. The figure was equivalent to 98.14 per cent of the plan and helped to increase the health insurance coverage rate to 93.29 per cent of the total population.

The total collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance contributions during the nine-month period reached more than VND43.4 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 13.75 per cent and equivalent to 72.06 per cent of the target.

The Hanoi Security Office handled social insurance and unemployment insurance policies in a timely manner, contributing to supporting and stabilising the living conditions of labourers, particularly in the context when people faced many difficulties after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Director of Hanoi Social Security Office Phan Van Men speaking at the meeting

The Hanoi Security Office has also paid attention to promoting administrative procedure reform, application of information technology and digital transformation, including the provision of online public services and digitalisation of documents and administrative procedures in implementing social insurance policy.

Identifying communications as a bridge to bring social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance to life, the Hanoi Security Office has effectively carried out diversified forms of communications to raise public awareness and social responsibility in protecting the legitimate rights and benefits of workers.

Tackling difficulties and obstacles

Apart from achievements, difficulties and challenges remain in the process of fulfilling the target of universal social insurance and health insurance. Some employers failed to abide by regulations in social insurance and health insurance such as late payment, evasion of social insurance or not participating in social insurance or not participating in full social insurance mechanisms for their employees. The debts of social, health and unemployment insurance owed by enterprises increased, negatively affecting the rights and interests of workers. In addition, the abuse of health insurance funds still happened.

At the meeting, heads of some agencies of the VSS recommended measures to effectively carry out missions of the Hanoi Social Security Office.

Illustrative image (VSS)

In order to reduce the abuse of the health insurance fund, Director of the Department of Health Insurance Implementation Le Van Phuc said the Hanoi Social Security Office should be more proactive in inspecting and supervising the registration of health examination and treatment and expenses covered by the health insurance as well as tap the information technology and data to inspect and prevent fraud and abuse of the health insurance fund. 

Director of the Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card Duong Van Hao proposed the city to report difficulties and obstacles to the steering committee on social insurance and health insurance implementation in a timely manner in order to have measures to deal with.

The city should also pay more attention to communication tasks and coordinate with relevant agencies to mobilise more participants and take measures to collect social insurance debts.

Deputy Director of the Department of Finance and Accounting Nguyen Ngoc Huyen suggested the Hanoi Social Security Office continue applying creative solutions to fulfil set targets in mobilising people to receive monthly social insurance and health insurance allowance via ATMs.

Director of the Information Technology Center Le Nguyen Bong said the Hanoi Social Security Office has promoted the application of information technology in its professional activities and gained positive results. He proposed the city continue boosting the application of information technology to create the best conditions for participants to benefit from social insurance policies.

Regarding the communications of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies and regulations, Director of the Information and Communication Center Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong asked the Hanoi Social Security Office to continue implementing communications activities following orientations of the VSS, particularly results of the social security industry in the first nine months of the year and the advantages and benefits of the social security policies. It is necessary to renew and diversify forms of communication.

Striving to fulfil missions

Delivering closing remarks, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh spoke highly of the efforts of the Hanoi Social Security Office in overcoming difficulties and challenges to gain outstanding achievements in the first nine months of the year, particularly in the collection and development of participants and digital transformation.

He committed to creating the best conditions for the Hanoi Social Security Office to fulfil tasks.

As the remaining months of the year will continue to see many difficulties, he asked the Hanoi Social Security Office to continue following directions, consulting local authorities and coordinating with relevant agencies to mobilise the participation of the whole political system of the city in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

It is necessary to improve the quality of communications to help people from all walks of life to get access to social insurance and health insurance policies, he said.

He proposed the Hanoi Social Security Office to control health examination and treatment costs covered by health insurance and make use of information technology to prevent fraud and abuse of the health insurance fund.

The Hanoi Social Security Office should also speed up digital transformation, administrative reform and application of information technology; increase inspection of businesses, employers and medical establishments that provide medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance to prevent violations and abuse of social insurance and health insurance funds to protect the interests of participants.

It was required to develop and take measures to fulfil tasks and targets for 2023.

VSS agencies will guide and support the Hanoi Social Security Office to handle emerging issues during the implementation process, he said.

 A view of the working session

Director of the Hanoi Social Security Office Phan Van Men said the office wants to continue receiving guidance and direction from the VSS in implementing tasks. The Hanoi Social Security Office will continue to strive to complete missions and fulfil set targets successfully, he said./.