To improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness, on February 6, 2017, the Government issued Resolution No 19-2017/NQ-CP.

In this resolution, the Government assigned the VSS to study the issuance of electronic health insurance cards which include information on social security and unemployment insurance.

Document No 4173/VPCP-KSTT dated May 8, 2018 of the Government Office assigned VSS to lead and collaborate with relevant ministries, sectors and agencies to draft a Prime Minister’s decision on the issuance, management and use of electronic health insurance cards.

The health insurance cards must be embedded with chips, apply technologies owned by Viet Nam, as well as ensure safe data connection, integration and sharing among relevant ministries, sectors and localities.

The e-cards will bring huge benefits to all stakeholders including card holders, healthcare facilities and social security agencies.

Paper health insurance cards will be automatically changed into e-cards. Card holders do not have to apply again. E-card holders do not have to present personal identity documents for healthcare check-ups and treatment. Personal identification will be verified by biometric information such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

Health records are saved on the card, making follow-up appointments and treatment more convenient.

The e-cards help healthcare facilities save time and reduce costs by removing personal information verification procedures at reception counters.

The cards also help healthcare facilities see recent check-up and treatment records in order to identify abuse of paraclinical services that can lead to side-effects and to control prescriptions to avoid drug resistance due to inappropriate doses.

Patients can no longer borrow health insurance cards from others because each card has individual biometric information. This helps avoid health insurance fund misuse or abuse.

The time needed for procedures of inspection and payment of health insurance costs conducted by social security agencies will be shortened thanks to the electronic system.

Information related to social security and unemployment insurance will be integrated into the electronic health insurance cards which will replace current paper social security records.

Electronic health insurance cards help reduce and simplify procedures such as the printing of cards, changing cards due to incorrect information or changes of registered healthcare facilities.

To operate the e-card system, Bình said the VSS has studied and reviewed relevant legal documents which detail the implementation; set up a centralised database; complete IT infrastructure and software for the sector, and connect data with the Government and data of related ministries and sectors.

The VSS owns a centralised database on card holders and professional activities in social security and health insurance implementation such as issuing personal identification codes for card holders.

Card holders and healthcare facilities can now be looked up on the database. The issuance of electronic health insurance cards will face no difficulties, he said./.