The issuance of the health insurance policy also demonstrated the interest of the Party and the State towards equity in healthcare, contributing to ensuring social security for all people.

Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member and Chairperson of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, made the statement on the afternoon of December 5 at the National Conference to study and master the 6th Resolution of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Mai also said that the policy has promoted its role as the main pillar of the social security system.

Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member and Chairperson of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Organisation Commission at the national conference on December 5

Along with the improvement of the policy, the percentage of people participating in health insurance has gradually increased year after year, gradually realising the goal of universal health insurance coverage, she said.

Currently, over 90 per cent of the population has a health insurance card.

Tran Thi Hoa, 60, of Hong Ha Ward, Ha Long City, in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh, said: “I am self-employed, without a pension.”

She has high blood pressure, so she has to go to the hospital every month for regular checkups, she said.

She has been participating in voluntary health insurance for more than a decade.

Thanks to the health insurance card, she has enjoyed a reduction of up to 80 per cent in medical costs whenever she goes to the hospital for checkups.

“Therefore, I feel very secure,” she said.

“For a self-employed and elderly person like me, the health insurance card is an indispensable thing,” she said.

Hoang Lich, 34, a motorcycle repairman in the northern province of Thai Binh, said three years ago, he was in a traffic accident and had to stay in hospital for two weeks.

At that time, he did not participate in health insurance because he thought that he was still young and healthy.

So, he had to pay all medical expenses, he said.

“Paying all the medical expenses made me face financial difficulties,” he added.

After that, he really understood the importance of a health insurance card.

If he had participated in health insurance before, his family would have saved a lot of money.

“Since then, although the conditions are still difficult, I always spend some money to participate in health insurance for all members of my family,” he said.

Over VND100 trillion payment

Disadvantaged women holding health insurance cards given for free by Viet Nam Social Security

According to statistics of Viet Nam Social Security, the health insurance fund has paid more than VND100 trillion (US$4.2 billion) for about 160-185 million medical visits with health insurance cards in recent years.

From 2021 to the end of June 2022, four patients received over VND3 billion (US$126,550) for medical costs from the health insurance fund.

The first patient, who received over VND3.9 billion (US$164,000) – the highest amount at the time, was born in 1984 at Trung Trach Hamlet, Vung Liem District, in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long.

The second patient, who received over VND3.3 billion from the health insurance fund, was born in 2017, in De Tham Ward, Thai Binh City in the northern province of Thai Binh.

The third, who received nearly VND3.09 billion (US$130,000), was born in 2006 in Hoang Dong Commune, Lang Son City in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son.

The fourth patient, who received nearly VND3.05 billion from the health insurance fund, was born in 2018, in Tho Tang Town, Vinh Tuong District in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

In the first eight months of this year, the country had nearly 2.2 million students undergoing medical treatment with the amount paid by the health insurance fund reaching nearly VND1.77 trillion (US$74,600).

It has contributed to showing the role, value and great benefits that the health insurance policy brings to people's healthcare.

Along with that, the health-insurance participants' benefits are increasingly expanded.

Specifically, when participating in health insurance, people will be fully paid by the health insurance fund without limitations in terms of age, number of days of treatment and total cost of medical care.