Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Insurance Nguyen Duc Hoa speaks at a meeting with Ha Tinh Province Social Security on December 15

At the meeting, Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Social Security Dang Thi Anh Hoa said that with the care and direction of the Vietnam Social Security, the provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee as well as the efforts of civil servants and public employees of the provincial Social Security, the agency overcame difficulties to fulfil assigned targets and plans.

By the end of November 2022, the province had 92,958 people participating in compulsory social insurance, an increase of 2,352 compared to 2021, reaching 94.9 per cent of the plan; 53,688 people participating in voluntary social insurance, an increase of 11,113 compared to 2021, reaching 96.4 per cent of the plan; and nearly 1.17 million people participating in health insurance, an increase of 32,329 people compared to 2021, reaching 99.6 per cent of the plan.

The rate of employees participating in social insurance is 21.6 per cent, 0.6 per cent higher than the target assigned by the provincial People's Council; the health insurance coverage rate reached 92 per cent of the population, reaching the target set by the provincial People's Council.

The collection of social insurance and health insurance premiums reached 85 per cent of the plan.

 The provincial social security agency expects to achieve almost all of its targets, except the target on compulsory social insurance because some large enterprises in the province found difficulties in attracting new workers.

Employment reviewal through tax data has been seriously implemented by the provincial social insurance agency. However, the number of employees participating in compulsory social insurance accounts for only 5.5 per cent of the number of employees who declare taxes.

Currently, Ha Tinh has more than 500 units that are no longer operating with social insurance debts of nearly VND30 billion. Notably, Ben Thuy Shipbuilding One Member Limited Liability Company owes social insurance and health insurance of over VND25 billion by the end of November 2022, which seriously affects the interests of its employees.

In 2022, the province had over 1.65 million medical visits using health insurance, a year-over-year increase of 226,729 visits.

Ha Tinh Social Security strictly implemented programmes and plans launched by Vietnam Social Security.

The agency promoted communication to small groups, households and residential clusters.

The social security agencies at all levels strengthened coordination with district and commune authorities. Organisations or staff collecting insurance premiums usually instruct and attract people to re-participate in voluntary social insurance and health insurance on time by the end of the year.

Thanks to data from tax authorities, social security agencies approached enterprises, co-operatives and businesses to identify potential participants of compulsory/voluntary social insurance.

To control the cost of medical examination and treatment with health insurance and the estimate assigned by the Prime Minister, the provincial social insurance agency has strengthened the assessment of health insurance, especially strictly controlling the medical examination and treatment procedures covered by health insurance and good management of inpatients.

The provincial social insurance agency proposed Vietnam Social Security consider and reduce the number of new participants in compulsory social insurance and unemployment insurance to fit with the province’s situation.

It calls for solutions to deal with enterprises that go bankrupt and are dissolved but still owe social insurance.

Deploying solutions

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen Duc Hoa acknowledged the results that Ha Tinh Social Security has achieved in recent years.

He highly appreciated its consultation with the provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee on the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies.

Hoa requested the provincial agency to continue to review the data provided by the tax authority on the principle of collecting insurance premiums correctly according to the provisions of the law.

“It is necessary to classify each specific group of subjects for engaging in social security policies, especially the health insurance for students,” Hoa said.

He emphasised the need to boost coordination with relevant departments and agencies in conducting inter-sectoral inspections and inspections of units that owe social insurance and health insurance premiums.

Particularly, for medical examination and treatment with health insurance, it is necessary to be more drastic.

Control of medical expenses with health insurance for health care facilities should be tightened with warnings from the health insurance assessment information system to promptly detect problems in health insurance spending.

Overview of the meeting

Hoa asked for more attention to be paid to preventing and detecting abuse and profiteering of health insurance funds; as well as cases in which people with health insurance cards are not admitted to medical examination and treatment by health insurance, and inpatient treatment is indicated when not necessary.

The social security agencies need to strengthen coordination with the Department of Health and medical facilities to agree on the estimated budget for the implementation of the Government's allocated budget.

The social security agency must consult the provincial People's Committee to promulgate documents on the prevention of abuse and exploitation of health insurance funds, ensuring benefits for participants of health insurance. 

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