At the conference, VSS Deputy Director Pham Luong Son said the country had worked towards the goal of health insurance coverage with some 83 million people joining health insurance in 2018, accounting for 88 per cent of the population. The Government has set a target of raising the percentage to 90 by 2020. However, an aging population is an inevitable future for Viet Nam, just like for other countries.

Data from VSS showed that the current average life expectancy of Vietnamese people is 76.6 years, higher than the world average of 72 years. In 2016, VSS issued health insurance cards for 8.8 million elderly people. The numbers in 2017 and 2018 was 9.8 million and more than 11 million, respectively. Elderly people account for 11 per cent of health insurance participants and the percentage has increased through the years.

Professor Taichi Ono from Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies said the population in Viet Nam was aging faster than in other countries. People over 65 years old accounted for only 6.7 per cent of the population in 2015, while the percentage is expected to reach 17 and 26.2 in 2040 and 2060, respectively. This trend shows that in a short period of time, Viet Nam will be put in the same situation as Japan, with elderly people making up a high proportion of the country’s population structure and needing an exclusive assistance system. This system needs to be built on the foundation of a health insurance policy with universal health coverage.

According to Professor Ono, since the 90s, Japan has developed a healthcare policy for the elderly which provides all kinds of services for older people, focusing on preventative solutions and encouraging all citizens to partake. At present, the Japanese government is accelerating the community-based care system in which elderly people are both beneficiaries and service providers.

In addition to receiving treatment at hospitals, elderly people receive care and assistance at home or join clubs to share similar concerns and help each other.

According to Profession Kenji Shimazaki from Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, to deploy the policy, in 1961 Japan completed the goal of universal healthcare coverage using funds from social health insurance. The insurance is compulsory for all Japanese citizens, and those who do not participate will be strictly punished. Universal healthcare coverage does not only mean 100 per cent health insurance coverage but also healthcare services that citizens can enjoy. By participating in health insurance, people can receive most services at the best prices.

Prof. Shimazaki said people’s demand for healthcare was growing, especially for long-term medical care due to the aging population. It is essential to provide a more efficient healthcare service starting with innovations in health insurance which help all citizens receive better and more convenient services and encourages community-based healthcare and family medicine.

Le Van Kham, head of the Department of Health Insurance under the Ministry of Health, said the rising demand for healthcare and its aging population requires changes in Viet Nam’s current health policies. At present, the Ministry of Health is working on the revision of the Health Insurance Law, towards the goal of universal health insurance and healthcare coverage. This will bring stability for people and contribute to the country’s development and integration./.