(Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

Politburo member and Standing Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong on February 21 held a working session with Vietnam Social Security (VSS), during which she hailed the sector’s efforts in expanding social and health insurance coverage.

According to VSS General Director Nguyen Thi Minh, 13.9 million people have accessed social insurance, while health insurance covers about 85.6 percent of the population, or 79.9 million people.

Total social, health and unemployment insurance revenue reached about 291.32 trillion VND. Social insurance debt also fell to its lowest figure ever at 5.7 trillion VND, 2.9 percent of the collection plan, she said.

Meanwhile, the VSS has sped up administrative reform, focusing on simplifying administrative procedures, said Minh, adding that in 2017, the VSS cut procedures to 28 from 32. At the same time, the sector built a database and provided electronic transactions in all fields. So far, the VSS has supplied 14 online public services at levels three and four. The verification information system has been connected to nearly all health care facilities, helping cut unreasonable medical insurance payment by 3 trillion VND.

The sector has also piloted concentrated tendering for the supply of 20 kinds of medicine worth 955.99 billion VND, down 21.12 percent compared to the average costs of medicine in last year’s bidding, equivalent to 251.13 billion VND, said Minh.

Recognising the achievements that the VSS made in 2017, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong said that after 23 years of development, the VSS has implemented the Party and State’s social welfare policies, contributing to sustainable development.

Along with economic development, ensuring social welfare is a target of the country, she said, adding that social security policies have been supplemented and completed. Phong praised the sector’s efforts for the target of at least 80 percent of the population joining health insurance in 2020, pointing that so far, insurance coverage has hit nearly 86 percent.

The NA Vice Chairwoman also hailed the VSS performance in inspection, as well as its workers’  attitude. Phong said she hopes the VSS will continue overcoming shortcomings, while improving capacity of its staff, thus fulfilling all tasks set by the National Assembly and Government. The VSS should also speed up administrative reform, she added.

She urged the VSS to review the implementation of the Politburo Resolution 21 on strengthening the Party’s leadership over social and health insurance, and the Prime Minister’s Directive 34 on strengthening implementation of solutions to expand social insurance coverage, as well as Articles 5 and 7 of the Social Insurance Law. She also called for greater attention of Party Committees, government, sectors, agencies and employers to social and health insurance.

International Cooperation Department