Stable social insurance is built as social security's pillar

24/06/2024 02:48 PM


In Vietnam, The system of social and health insurance policies is becoming more and more complete, in line with the socio-economic development. The key role of social and health insurance in the social security system is affirmed. However, the implementation of social and health insurance policies still faces countless difficulties and challenges, efforts should be made to achieve the goal of universal social and health insurance coverage.

In 2022, more than 1.4 million people were covered by social security or 3.18% of the population. In 2023, the number increased to about 1.9 million people, or 4.09%. The expected number in 2024 is 2.56 million people (5.42%). the low rate to the unstable income of workers in the informal sector and their unawareness of voluntary social insurance, which partly resulted from the psychological expectation that they would be subsidized by the state.Besides, there is still a mentality deeply ingrained in the Vietnamese people's subconscious, which is "young people rely on their fathers, old people rely on their children and people were skeptical about the benefits they would receive in the future.
The system of policies and laws on social insurance has not kept up with the socio-economic development and has not yet adapted to the population aging process and the emergence of new labor relations; the expansion and development of social insurance participants is still below the  potential; the social insurance coverage increases slowly; the number of people entitled to one-time social insurance benefits increases rapidly; social insurance payment evasion, debt, fraud and profiteering have been slowly handled. 
According to the experts, the development of voluntary social insurance will require the synchronized implementation of many solutions, from policy to practice, especially in the development of the Social Insurance Law (amended).
The policy gap between formal and informal workers also needs to be addressed. This is because formal workers are well protected by short-term and long-term schemes, while the situation of informal workers is "very fragile" in terms of income.Solutions and policy changes need to be made so that more workers in the informal sector can access the voluntary social insurance system and ensure social security policies when working in the informal sector.


To achieve the goal of universal social and health insurance coverage, in the coming time, Vietnam must focus on further promoting the reform and building of social insurance to truly become a key pillar of the social security system, firmly expanding the coverage of social insurance, towards realizing the goal of universal social insurance coverage according to the roadmap in accordance with Vietnam’s socio-economic development conditions, making an important contribution to the implementation of social progress and justice.

Firstly, Vietnamese social security  industry should properly organize the implementation of scheme and policies on social and health insurance. It must proactively and actively work with relevant agencies to propose amendments and improvements to the system of policies and laws on social and health insurance in accordance with the real situation, in order to develop Vietnamese social security industry professionally and modernly for the satisfaction of organizations and individuals participating in social and health insurance.

Secondly, Vietnamese social security industry must renew and improve the quality and effectiveness of social and health insurance communications in the new situation in a professional and centralized way, suitable for each target group, focusing on the participants of voluntary social insurance and household-based health insurance.

Thirdly, with the motto of putting the people at the center of service, it is necessary to further promote the administrative procedures reform in the implementation of social and health insurance policies, reduce and simplify procedures to create convenience for organizations and individuals when conducting transactions with social insurance agencies; well implement online public services and inter-agency one-stop- shopmechanism in settling social and health insurance scheme and policies.

Fourthly, it needs to strengthen the application of information technology and comprehensively digitalize all operations of Vietnamese social security industry; as well as connect and share data with relevant ministries and industries to complete the national database on insurance. Also, it is essential to promote electronic payment as well as manage and utilize electronic documents in the system of social insurance agencies and on the National  Data Interlinking of Goverment.

Fifthly, Vietnam social security industry should promote the internal inspection, control  and audit of the social and health insurance law execution, especially the specialized inspection on payment of social and health insurance; and promptly detect and handle violations, frauds, and profiteering of the Social Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund.

Sixthly, it should strengthen bilateral, multilateral, regional and international cooperation in the field of social security; coordinate with relevant agencies to finalize the negotiation and submit to competent authorities for concluding and implementing agreements regarding social insurance with other countries.

PV