Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement while presenting the Government’s report to the National Assembly, outlining the year’s economic and social situation progress and plans for next year, at the eighth session of the 15th National Assembly, which was opened on October 21.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the Government’s report, outlining the year’s economic and social progress and plans for 2025, at the eighth session of the 15th National Assembly

According to data shared during the session, the Viet Nam Social Security has made significant progress in the first nine months of this year.

Specifically, it has provided pensions and monthly social insurance benefits to 67,657 individuals, an increase of 3.52 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, 990,975 people received one-time social insurance payments with a slight decrease of 0.66 per cent in the number receiving one-time social insurance payments compare to last year.

The agency processed a substantial volume of claims, supporting 6.2 million requests related to sickness, maternity, recuperation, health rehabilitation, and unemployment insurance, accommodating 719,348 beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the Viet Nam Social Security also implemented a series of effective measures to manage the health insurance fund diligently, ensuring that disbursements were both accurate and sufficient.

Many challenges in healthcare provision and health insurance reimbursement had been addressed, facilitating smooth operations for health service providers and maximising benefits for health insurance participants in accordance with regulations.

Over the nine-month period, it is estimated that more than 134.8 million health insurance claims were processed nationwide, a rise of over 7.4 million compared to the same period last year, with total expenditures exceeding VND102 trillion (US$4.03 billion), an increase of VND13.69 trillion ($542 million) compared to last year.

In terms of compliance, the agency required the collection of overdue contributions from 5,746 employees, who were obligated to participate in social, health and unemployment insurance but had not yet enrolled, amounting to VND25.1 billion ($994,000).

Additionally, 21,376 employees were identified as having contributed insufficiently over a period, resulting in a further collection of VND59 billion ($2.33 million).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assesses that social security works are ensured, people’s living standards are improved in the first nine months of this year

By 30 September, a total of VND991.7 billion ($39.2 million) in overdue contributions had been submitted by relevant units following inspections, and VND15.2 billion ($600,000) in penalties for non-compliance had been remitted to the State budget.

Participation in social, health and unemployment insurance had also seen an upward trend compared to the same period last year, reaching over 19.02 million (up 9.9 per cent), 93.45 million (up 2.18 per cent), and 15.31 million (up 8.02 per cent) respectively.

The growth was notable given the economic context marked by external challenges and internal difficulties, showcasing the determination and commitment of the Viet Nam Social Security.

On-going efforts amidst challenges

Despite facing significant hardships, particularly from the recent Typhoon Yagi, the Viet Nam Social Security had demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility and high levels of effort to ensure timely support for those affected.

The agency had taken proactive measures to secure social, health and unemployment benefits for those impacted by the natural disaster, adhering to the principle of delivering services “as quickly, conveniently and reform-oriented as possible.”

 Director General of Viet Nam Social Security Nguyen The Manh presents health insurance cards to disadvantaged people affected by Typhoon Yagi in Yen Binh District, Yen Bai Province

The measures included expedited payment processes for pensioners and social insurance beneficiaries, even amid adverse weather conditions as well as home delivery of benefits in severely affected areas.

Staff were deployed at health service providers to swiftly resolve any issues related to health insurance procedures, ensuring that all insured patients could receive timely care.

The sector coordinated with the Ministry of Health and healthcare facilities to ensure the availability of medications and medical equipment, facilitating access to health services for those unable to visit health facilities due to the disaster.

Moreover, alongside addressing immediate benefits for those affected by the typhoon, the agency organised the distribution of social insurance books and health insurance cards to vulnerable individuals in 26 provinces and cities impacted by the typhoon.

The initiative resulted in the provision of over 1,200 social insurance books and approximately 9,260 health insurance cards, totalling nearly VND16 billion ($632,000).

In a bid to support businesses in recovering from the typhoon’s impact, the agency issued Report No 3314/BC-BHXH on September 24, proposing a temporary suspension of contributions to the retirement and survivorship funds for employers in the tourism sector adversely affected by the typhoon.

If approved, it is estimated that around 3,300 businesses with approximately 93,000 employees will benefit from the measure over the next six months.

The timely and adequate implementation of social, health and unemployment insurance policies significantly contributed to the health and stability of the population, bolstering public confidence in the Party and State's social insurance policies.

In particular, on March 1, the Viet Nam Social Security’s Inspection was established.

The event demonstrated the recognition of the National Assembly and the Government for the contribution of the agency to the cause of national social security over the past 29 years.

The positive and comprehensive results achieved in all areas of social, health and unemployment insurance not only demonstrated the determination of the entire political system, the close direction of the Government, and the drastic management of the Prime Minister, but also demonstrated the efforts, responsibility and dedication of the Viet Nam Social Security in effectively implementing assigned political tasks.

The achievements had made a positive contribution to ensuring social security for all people and employees, firmly consolidating the country's social security.

Strengthening digital transformation

Currently, all public services managed by the Viet Nam Social Security are available for comprehensive online provision.

 People enjoy many benefits from digital transformation of social and health insurance

The agency has published a list of 70 online public services, reducing the number of required documents and processing times to the minimum.

All administrative procedures are accessible through the agency’s public service portal and the national public service portal, with over 80 per cent of transactions conducted online.

Nationwide, approximately 621,000 organisations and businesses are now engaging electronically with the social insurance agency, alongside 13,000 healthcare facilities directly linked to the agency’s health insurance verification system, processing around 170 million health insurance claims annually.

Furthermore, all Vietnamese citizens now possess level-2 VNeID (a digital identity and e-signature app) accounts, enabling them to utilise online public services.

The agency is also working closely with relevant ministries to implement two interconnected public service groups related to the registration of births, permanent residence and health insurance for children under six, as well as the registration of deaths and funeral assistance.

The cooperation aims to enhance technical infrastructure for data sharing between healthcare providers and public service software while the health ministry has yet to complete its database.

The agency is making significant strides in digital transformation, particularly in comprehensively implementing the Project 06 (on developing and applying the population data and electronic identification and authentication to serve national digital transformation) across all operational areas.

The progress not only streamlines processes for organisations and individuals but also enhances data connectivity and sharing across the national health insurance database.

The agency’s achievements position it among the top five ministries leading in national digital transformation rankings, setting a strong foundation for future success in fulfilling its assigned duties.