On June 29, 2016, Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) held a conference on health insurance implementation for 2016-2020, to launch a health care data portal and health insurance assessment information system. Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Prime Minister; and Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the VSS Governing Body attended the conference.

With the aim of “Joining hands to implement universal health insurance”, VSS submitted plans to the Government and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on collaboration with other government agencies and social partners to encourage people to join health insurance schemes. In line with the Prime Minister’s order, VSS has set a target to cover at least 90% of Vietnam’s population by 2020.

VSS provides health insurance services for nearly 150 million visits annually. To better serve the insured and to effectively manage the health insurance fund in accordance with the law, VSS focuses on modernising the administration through the application of information technology in the assessment and payment of medical expenses. So far, most of the health facilities in the country’s 63 provinces and centrally-run cities have piloted connecting with the health insurance assessment information system. On June 25, the VSS portal was officially put into operation, receiving data on health insurance claims from health facilities nationwide. 

Nguyen Thi Minh, VSS Director General, stated that the Government has always paid close attention to health insurance, as it is one of the key pillars of the social security system and has profound humanitarian and community values. On June 16, 2008, then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung declared July 1 as Vietnam’s Health Insurance Day. This was in recognition of the efforts to implement health insurance policies and affirmed the critical role of health insurance in society.

International Cooperation Department