The local administration is also required to conduct more inspections at units and enterprises, which intentionally delay the payment of social and health insurance to the Viet Nam Social Security’s branch in the province, and strictly handle them according to the provisions of law.

Tran Dinh Lieu, Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Social Security, made the order at a virtual meeting on the afternoon of September 21.

The virtual meeting was organised by the provincial Party Committee to evaluate the results of the implementation of social and health insurance.

Delegates at the virtual meeting

Lieu also directed the provincial Department of Health to seriously follow regulations on medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance, ensuring the interests of participants.

Besides, relevant agencies in the province also need to promote communication and promulgate policies to support social insurance participants, especially ethnic minority households, he said.

Lieu assigned the branch to closely follow the direction of the provincial Party Committee and Standing Committee of the provincial Party Committee; coordinate and overcome shortcomings to successfully implement resolutions related to social and health insurance in the locality.

Also at the meeting, Phan Ngoc Tho, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, requested the branch to assess the current situation to issue solutions to increase the number of people participating in social and health insurance.

Tho said increasing the rate of people participating in social and health insurance is also the responsibility of the Party Committee at all levels and this will be carried out persistently, decisively and synchronously.

Besides, the branch needs to further improve communication to encourage more participants in social and health insurance, he said.

Delegates from districts and communes join the virtual meeting

Achievements

Data from the branch showed that by the end of August, the province has 145,101 people participating in social insurance, accounting for 28.3 per cent of the labour force in the province.

The number of people participating in compulsory social insurance reached 127,109, accounting for 24.8 per cent of the labour force.

The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance reached 17,992, accounting for 3.5 per cent of the labour force.

There are 118,374 people participating in unemployment insurance, accounting for 23.1 per cent of the labour force.

Tran Dinh Lieu, Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam Social Security delivers a speech at the meeting

The province now has 1,144,361 participants in health insurance, reaching 99.02 per cent of the population, about 3.9 per cent higher than the target assigned in Decision No 546/QD-TTg dated April 29, 2022 by the Prime Minister on the allocation of expenditure on health insurance coverage for the 2022 – 2025 period.

The branch also promptly pays social, health and unemployment insurance, ensuring the benefits of participants in the province.

In addition, administrative reform and support for businesses and people in the field of social and health insurance are always promoted.

Shortcomings

Phan Ngoc Tho, Standing Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee delivers a speech at the meeting

In addition to the achievements, the development of participants in social and health insurance in the province has not yet met the requirements.

For example, the rate of employees participating in social and unemployment insurance is still lower than the potential.

The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance also decreased compared to the end of last year and the number was still lower than the potential.

Some units and enterprises, especially in the non-state sector, have not strictly complied with the Law on Social Insurance and the Law on Health Insurance while they have not fully declared the number of employees working at the unit or enterprise.

It is difficult to mobilise people to participate in health insurance in areas that no longer receive financial support from the State budget to pay for health insurance.

The collection of students' health insurance premiums at some universities, colleges and vocational schools has faced difficulties./.