At Ho Chi Minh Social Security Office:

On July 26, Ho Chi Minh Social Security Office issued new instructions for people in the area to register and continue to pay premiums for household health insurance and voluntary social insurance conveniently and quickly while ensuring compliance with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thanh - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh Social Security Office, the guidance aims to create convenience for people based on the regulations of the Prime Minister (PM) and the city on COVID-19 prevention as well as the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) on granting and extending health insurance cards.

Specifically, for the application for renewal and new increase, the municipal social security agency requires the collection agents that have received and collected money from people to transfer the dossier via electronic transaction and attach the money transfer slip to the social insurance agency. In case the payment cannot be made immediately to the social insurance agency, a message of commitment shall be sent to the social security agency that has collected money from these cases so that the agency can issue a new or renew the health insurance card. After the end of the quarantine period according to the Directive of the PM or the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee or the direction of the Municipal People's Committee, the above collected amount must be immediately sent to the social security agency.

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In case the collection agent of the People's Committee of communes or wards does not directly receive the documents and money from the people, the people will be instructed to transfer the money to the account of the social security agency of the district, clearly stating their full name and social insurance number (Thu Duc Social Security Office, districts guiding and providing account information to the collection agent). Or to guide participants to renew household health insurance cards online at: Mobile application, Online banking at the website of the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) system and Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank). For example: Peopleshall download the VCB Digibank App to their phones, select State budget/Social insurance/Select province/Submit as individual customers/Select "Voluntary social insurance" or "Renew health insurance cards", then continue to follow the instructions.

In addition, it can be done through the National Public Service Portal: People ACCESS  the Portal at https://dichvucong.gov.vn, register (if they do not have an account) and Log in on the National Public Service page, select: Online payment/Voluntary social insurance and Household-based health insurance and follow the instructions. Or it can be done on the VSS Portal (dichvucong.baohiemxahoi.gov.vn).

If people have other bank accounts, they can pay to renew their household-based health insurance cards or voluntary social insurance cards by directly transferring money to the account of the district social security agency (Note: People may choose normal transfer and not select 24/7 fast transfer).

When transferring, they shall fill in the following content: For household-based health insurance card renewal: Content: Full name/ Card code/ Renewal month/ Number of months/ Address including names of Wards/ Districts. For further payment of voluntary social insurance: Content: Payment of unemployment insurance premium + Social insurance number + Name of the payer + Phone number.

“Ho Chi Minh Social Security Office requires, after the money is received, the accounting department specializing in collection and issuance of books and cards shall cooperate in processing documents and granting the value of health insurance cards, so as not to affect the medical care benefits of participants. For the case of new increase without information, and the health insurance card cannot be issued, the social security agency where the application is received will contact the participant by phone to supplement information and issue the health insurance card before the card is valid for use” ​​– Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thanh noted.

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At the Quang Binh Social Security Office:

Quang Binh Social Security Office has just issued a written request to employers' units in the area to conduct electronic transactions in the field of social insurance, and to stop trading paper records from August 1, 2021. This is an activity to well perform the tasks assigned by the PM and well implement measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to the Quang Binh Social Security Office, up to now, most of the employers in this locality have coordinated with the social security agencies at all levels to well implement the Government's Decree 166/2016/ND-CP dated December 24, 2016 stipulating on electronic transactions (ET) in the field of social, health and unemployment insurance. VSS has also issued the ET process in these areas in Decision No. 838/QD-Social Insurance (May 29, 2017). However, up to now, there are still a number of units that have not registered to participate in and carry out ET in the field of collecting social, health and unemployment insurance; to issue social insurance books and health insurance cards; to settle and pay social, health and unemployment insurance benefits.

From August 1, 2021, the social insurance agency will stop trading paper records and switch to electronic document transactions. ET in the field of social insurance is also part of the tasks of all units in this locality, implementing the direction and orientation of the People's Committee of Quang Binh province in Decision No. 4979/QD- People's Committee (dated December 29, 2020) issuing administrative reform plan of Quang Binh province in 2020, promoting administrative reform, building and developing e-government. In particular, in the context of the current complicated development of the COVID-19 epidemic, ET contributes to the well implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures.

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It is recommended that employers with digital signatures need to register to participate in and conduct ET in the field of social insurance, according to the Quang Binh Social Security Office, this is an activity that brings numerous benefits when “the social security agency will return the results of the administrative procedures according to the electronic record transaction process and the unit does not have to submit paper records.” In order to register to participate in and conduct ET in the field of social insurance, the unit needs to make online declaration and make digital signatures on electronic social insurance records on the public service portal of Vietnamese social insurance industry. The software is provided free of charge at: https://dichvucong baohiemxahoi.gov.vn or purchase software copyright of Declaration of electronic social insurance records of I-VAN service providers. If the digital signature of the ET unit with the tax, customs, etc. is still valid, it can be used to register for participation in and conduct ET in the field of social insurance.

For units that do not have digital signatures, they can contact one of the organizations providing digital certificates to buy digital signatures and register ET with the social security agency. Deadline is July 31, 2021. The list of organizations providing I-VAN services and digital certificates is published by the VSS at: https://dichvucong.baohiemxahoi.gov.vn. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or problems, the units can discuss with the IT Center for guidance and support.

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At Hanoi Social Security Office:

In the context of complicated epidemic developments, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoa - Director of Hanoi Social Security Office disseminated that all employees in the whole unit must identify epidemic prevention as the top urgent task, and strictly obey discipline and regulations on epidemic prevention. At the same time, to ensure the settlement of social, health and unemployment insurance benefits and support employees and employers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic according to the Government's Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP, Decision No. 23 /QD-TT of the PM, Official Letter No. 1988/BHXH-TST dated July 8, 2021 of VSS and Decision No. 3642/QD-UBND dated July 21, 2021 of Hanoi People's Committee conveniently, timely and in accordance with regulations.

The City Social Security Office has assigned and arranged employees to use IT and apply professional software of the Industry to work from home and at the office from July 26, 2021. At the same time, to stop all nonurgent activities and meetings; necessary meetings shall be held online and must be approved by the Director of the City Social Security Office.

The City Social Security Office shall only arrange staff to work at the agency to handle social insurance benefits (retirement, unemployment insurance, sickness, maternity); implement a number of policies to support the COVID-19-hit employees and employers; put "One-stop-shop" on duty; calculate the total payment of health care costs covered by health insurance in 2020 according to Decree No. 146/2018/ND-CP of the Government to settle medical expenses with health care facilities under health insurance; ensure the benefits of health insurance participants when going to medical care and pay the COVID-19 costs and tests quickly and timely.

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In addition, the director of the city social security agency also requested the directors of the social security authorities of the districts to establish and be directly in charge of the standing group for COVID-19 prevention and control and strictly implement Directive No. 17/CT-UBND of the Municipal People's Committee, the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control in the area and the plan of the City Social Security Office.

Regarding epidemic prevention, Hanoi Social Security Office has just established a Commanding Department for COVID-19 prevention and control, led by Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoa - Director of the City Social Security Office. The headquarters of the Hanoi Social Security Office's Commanding Department for COVID-19 prevention and control is located at Room 205 - Hanoi Social Security Office, No. 15 Cau Do Street, Ha Cau Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi. The Command Department is in charge of formulating plans, directing, urging and guiding affiliated units to organize the implementation of epidemic prevention and control; perform professional tasks to ensure social security in the capital area; synthesize and report information on epidemic prevention and control; the settlement of social, health  and unemployment insurance regimes in the locality. Social security agencies of districts and towns also established a standing team to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic and ensure the implementation of social and health insurance policies in the locality according to the assigned decentralization./.