Some challenges persist, including employers’ incomplete or delayed payments of social and health insurance premiums for workers. Moreover, Moreover, certain businesses lack a sufficient understanding of the laws governing social insurance, unemployment benefits, and health insurance.

The development of voluntary participants in social insurance did not proportionately match the potential.

Additionally, the leadership and guidance work of some steering committees on social and health insurance policy implementation at the local level were not cohesive and failed to meet effective results.

These difficulties were highlighted in the Report presented on March 20, 2024, at a conference to review the results of last year and outline the tasks for this year by the provincial Steering Committee for the implementation of social and health insurance policies.

Tran Van Toan, director of the Phu Yen Province Social Security Office, and deputy head of the permanent Steering Committee, said that last year, steering committees at all levels had fully utilised their roles and functions in directing the implementation of social and health insurance policies in the locality.

 Delegates at the conference

It had led to a significant improvement in the understanding of the policies among Party committees, authorities, and the people, contributing to the basic fulfilment of last year targets, he said.

However, the development of participants, especially in voluntary social and health insurance, was not sustainable and commensurate with the local potential.

The management and utilisation of the health insurance fund at some healthcare facilities, had not been efficient. There was still overuse of medical services and hospital bed days exceeding the norms.

Nguyen Huu Tu, director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, proposed the establishment of a supervisory team to assess the implementation of steering committees at all levels, and to promptly address difficulties and obstacles in the evaluation of rural, forestry, fishery households' average living standards to ensure that people in the province receive support according to Resolution 05/NQ/HND of the provincial People's Council.

Regarding the responsibility to enhance the quality of health examinations and treatments covered by the health insurance fund, Nguyen Van Tinh, deputy director of the provincial Health Department highlighted the ongoing efforts of the health sector. He said that the measures have been taken to improve medicine procurement processes through bidding, with the aim of providing better healthcare services to patients and addressing the limitations that have been encountered in the past.

Tran Dinh Lieu, deputy director general of the Viet Nam Social Security, said the implementation of social and health insurance policies was not only about developing participants but also about deploying comprehensive activities aimed at ensuring social security for the people.

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He hoped that the province would soon address existing shortcomings and limitations in leadership and management. Moreover, they should make practical proposals and suggestions for central ministries and agencies to provide timely and effective guidance.

Dao My, vice chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, head of the Provincial Steering Committee, suggested that the members of the steering committee and chairman of the district People's Committees should recognise that social and health insurance work was a crucial political task to ensure social security for the people.

It required the collective efforts of all sectors, levels, and political and social organisations in disseminating and mobilising people's participation.

He assigned the Phu Yen Social Security Office to coordinate with relevant agencies to enhance the dissemination of social, health and unemployment insurance policies.

They should effectively implement the development of participants in social, health and unemployment insurance system according to the development scenario for participants this year, strengthen inspection work, conduct inter-sectoral inspections to timely handle enterprises deliberately evading or delaying social, health and unemployment insurance payments, and coordinate with the health department to effectively carry out health examination and treatment, covered by the health insurance fund, further improving the quality of healthcare services.

They should also collaborate with the police to timely prevent violations of laws related to social and health insurance and continue to effectively implement administrative reform, application of information technology in management, and implementation of the Government’s Project 06 (a project on developing and applying the population database and electronic identification and authentication.)

The province-based Fatherland Front branch was requested to include the content of giving social insurance books, health insurance cards in voluntary activities and call for community contributions.

According to the report presented by the Steering Committee, as of December 31, 2023, the total number of individuals participating in social insurance in the area reached 82,525, surpassing the target set by Viet Nam Social Security by 101.1 per cent. This indicates a notable increase of 3,264 individuals in comparison to the previous year, accounting for approximately 18.65 per cent of the working-age population.

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The number of unemployment insurance participants was 54,411 people, reaching 100.6 per cent of the plan assigned by Viet Nam Social Security, an increase of 2,439 people compared to the previous year.

The number of health insurance participants in the province was 826,923 people, reaching 100.3 per cent of the plan assigned by Viet Nam Social Security, an increase of 11,310 people compared to the previous year.

The health insurance coverage rate reached 94.21 per cent of the provincial population, exceeding the target set by the provincial People's Council by 0.76 per cent last year.

The total revenue from social, unemployment and health insurance exceeded VND2 trillion (US$80.3 million), reaching 104.3 per cent of the plan assigned by Viet Nam Social Security.