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* Amending and supplementing regulations on groups participating in household HI to create more favorable conditions for policy participants and beneficiaries:

VSS has just issued Decision 490/QD-BHXH dated March 28, 2023, which amended and supplemented regulations on group participation in HI by household in order to meet the requirements of implementation Project 06 and direction of the Prime Minister on the removal of household registration books in handling administrative procedures.. Thus, from April 1, 2023, the group participating in HI by household includes: All persons named in the same household registered for permanent or temporary residence (on the old regulation was all persons named in the household registration book), except for the following groups:

- Group that HI contribution are paid by employees and employers;

- Group that HI contribution are paid by the social insurance agencies;

- Group that HI contribution are paid by the state budget;

- Group that HI contribution are supported by the state budget;

- Persons that HI contribution are paid by employers (newly added regulations) including:

+ Relatives of defense workers and officers in the army.

+ Relatives of police workers in the People’s Public Security force

+ Relatives of other people in cipher work.

* Regulations on procedures for participating and receiving HI cards:

Decree 104 stipulates that in case a relative or guardian goes to receive the HI card instead, do not have to bring the household registration book, but present other documents such as appointment letter, ID card. Documents proving personal relationship include: Copy of birth certificate , marriage certificate, residence certificate, notice of personal identification number and citizen information in the establishment on national data on population or decision to recognize guardianship.

In addition, from January 1, 2023, participants of HI can register to buy HI cards at home according to the instructions on the process of registration for payment and issuance of HI cards on National public service according to the Decision No. 3510/QD-BHXH dated November 21, 2022 of VSS. Thus, people can sit at home to register to buy a card and pay HI contribution through the national public service portal without going directly to the social security agency.

* Increase household HI contribution when base salary increases

From July 1, 2023, together with the increase of the base salary from VND 1,490,000 to VND 1,800,000, the HI contribution will increase.

According to Decree 146/2018/ND-CP, the first person to pay HI contribution is 4.5 base salary; the second, third, and fourth people pay 70%, 60%, and 50% of the first person's contribution, respectively, and from the fifth person onward will pay 40% of the first person's contribution rate.

Specifically, the household HI contribution will increase from 67,050 VND/month to 81,000 VND/month for the first person.

Việt Nam Social Security has urged citizens to participate in household health insurance, affirming that the model provides practical benefits to all family members, especially those with low incomes and cases of illness.

This would help share the financial burden for people in case of illness or inability to work, it said on the occasion of Việt Nam Health Insurance Day (July 1).

Currently, the premium for household health insurance is set at 4.5 per cent of the basic salary. Starting from July 1, when the basic salary increases to VNĐ1.8 million per month according to the Government’s Decree 24/2023/NĐ-CP, the premium for household health insurance will also rise.

When participating in this model, participants will receive a partial reduction in premiums for family members who also join during the fiscal year, it said.

Specifically, the first cardholder of the household will have to pay 100 per cent of the insurance cost of VNĐ972,000 per year. The second person will pay 70 per cent of the premium of the first person, equivalent to VNĐ680,400 per year. The third, fourth and fifth cardholders will pay 60 per cent, 50 per cent and 40 per cent of the premium of the first person, equivalent to VNĐ583,200 per year, VNĐ486,000 per year, and VNĐ388,800 respectively.

Cardholders will have their medical expenses, including fees for health examinations and stays in hospital beds, paid for within the scope of benefits and limits specified.

Household health insurance will cover 100 per cent of total medical expenses for outpatients receiving medical treatment at their communal health clinics if the medical expenses are lower than 15 per cent of their basic salary, or after patients’ participating in health insurance for five consecutive years or more and having the same amount of payment for medical expenses exceeding six months of the basic salary.

Household health insurance will cover 80 per cent of hospital fees for health examinations or hospital beds for other cases.

For cases receiving medical treatment outside the designated level of health insurance, if the patient does not have a referral document but provides complete health insurance procedures, they will receive 100 per cent coverage of outpatient medical expenses at district-level hospitals and 100 per cent coverage of inpatient medical expenses at provincial or district-level hospitals, and 40 per cent coverage for inpatient treatment at central-level hospitals.

Citizens can submit the prescribed declaration form and register at the headquarters of the provincial or district social insurance agency, social insurance service providers, healthcare insurance providers, or the National Public Service Portal on www.dichvucong.gov.vn, or the Social Insurance Portal on www.dichvucong.baohiemxahoi.gov.vn.

Participants in household health insurance should note that the card will be valid 30 days after the health insurance premium payment.

When seeking medical treatment with health insurance, participants need to present the health insurance card or the image of the health insurance card on the VssID application, as well as personal identification documents with photos or chip-embedded citizen identification cards, it said. 

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