Towards 100% Elderly Health Insurance Coverage

Healthcare is a core issue in ensuring a happy life for the elderly. The aging process leads to alter biological characteristics, impairing hearing, vision, and mobility, while increasing the prevalence of illnesses and mortality risks among this group. These factors cause significant psychological, autonomy, and independence challenges, and are a primary contributor to the economic vulnerability of the elderly and their families.

Despite recognizing the importance of healthcare, financial challenges in accessing such services remain a major obstacle for many elderly individuals and their families, given that the cost of healthcare for the elderly is significantly higher than for younger people. For instance, treatment expenses for the elderly can be 8–10 times higher than for the young. While the elderly account for over 10% of the population, equal to more than 50% of annual healthcare costs. Thus, ensuring financial capacity to cover healthcare expenses for the elderly is a key policy goal for nations worldwide.

Over recent years, various countries have ensured the healthcare needs of their elderly populations through health insurance schemes. Implementing health insurance policies for citizens, especially the elderly, helps achieve three fundamental goals:

1. Equity – Access to healthcare based on need, not financial capacity.
2. Financial Protection – Ensuring healthcare expenses do not lead to economic hardship.
3. Comprehensive Access – Providing high-quality, efficient, and holistic healthcare services, including accurate diagnosis, appropriate prescriptions, and effective treatment.

Vietnam’s Aging Population and Health Insurance Policy Reforms
Vietnam’s rapidly aging population presents an urgent need to reform health insurance policies for the elderly. These reforms aim to prevent chronic diseases, reduce healthcare expenses, avoid economic strain on families, and achieve the goal of “inclusive development—leaving no one behind.” Developing and implementing appropriate health insurance policies ensures equitable access to healthcare services, while also empowering the elderly to contribute their wisdom and experience to society, fostering sustainable cultural, economic, and social development.

The elderly are always given attention and care for their health by the Party and the State

Currently, nearly 13 million elderly individuals live in Vietnam, accounting for 12% of the total population. By 2035, it is projected that the country will enter an aging population phase, with elderly individuals comprising 20% of the population. This rapid aging process poses significant challenges for elderly healthcare services.

Expanding health insurance coverage for the elderly is a major policy directive in Vietnam. Over the years, the Party and the State have focused on increasing health insurance coverage for the elderly. With rising coverage rates, the use of health insurance for medical care among the elderly has also steadily increased. Thanks to continuous improvements in health insurance policies, the scope of benefits for elderly healthcare has expanded significantly.

The Role of International Projects in Supporting Elderly Care
On December 11, in Hanoi, HelpAge International, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, hosted a conference to summarize the project “Reducing Income and Health Vulnerability of Older Persons in Vietnam.”

Funded by the Japan Social Development Fund through the World Bank in Vietnam, the project has been implemented in partnership with the Vietnam Association of the Elderly across six provinces: Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan. To date, 186 intergenerational self-help clubs have been established, benefiting 35,587 members and 92,314 indirect beneficiaries. The project, scheduled to conclude by December 31, 2024, aims to enhance the health and income security of the elderly while promoting the replication of its model nationwide.

Future Directions
Vietnam’s elderly population, currently at 12%, is expected to increase significantly, with one in five citizens aged over 60 by 2036, or even earlier by 2031. Although life expectancy in Vietnam has risen from 65.2 years in 1989 to 73.8 years in 2021, the average healthy life expectancy remains low at 65.4 years.

Addressing the challenges of a rapidly aging population, particularly in a low-income country like Vietnam, requires comprehensive solutions for elderly care, including medical, social, and income support. With a high prevalence of chronic illnesses and multimorbidity among the elderly, ensuring their healthcare needs is more critical than ever.

The ongoing efforts to expand health insurance coverage and improve its effectiveness for the elderly, along with encouraging their active participation in economic and social activities, aim to build an elderly-friendly environment. This aligns with the goal of ensuring 100% health insurance coverage for the elderly, providing health management, medical care, and community-based support, while promoting the contributions of this valuable demographic to society.