Over 16.12 million people have participated in compulsory social insurance, a year-on-year increase of 2.32 per cent while over 1.56 million others joined voluntary insurance, a year-on-year surge of 13.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, over 90.1 million people joined health insurance, increasing 0.74 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Over 14.41 million participated in unemployment insurance, up 2.58 per cent year on year, the VSS said.

In the first two months of 2024, the VSS collected more than VND36.66 trillion from social, health and unemployment insurance premiums, according to the report delivered at the meeting.

Chief of VSS Office Dinh Mai Long presented a report on task accomplishment in the first two months of this year, stating that the sector has worked with relevant ministries and sectors to draft laws and important documents about social and health insurance policies and mechanisms, including the amended employment law, the amended social insurance law, and the amended health insurance law.

The industry has pushed for digital transformation, the management of administrative processes, the publicizing of laws and regulations, he said.

According to him, the VSS has collaborated with the Ministry of Health to remove obstacles to health check-up and treatment covered by health insurance.

VSS general director Nguyen The Manh delivers a remark at the meeting

The meeting heard that the VSS has directed local social security offices to take drastic measures in order to increase participation, encourage collection, and decrease late insurance payments, given the current economic challenges.

Local social security offices have been active in giving consultations to local authorities of cities and provinces to include social insurance and health insurance coverage targets in the resolutions of People's Councils at all levels.

Authorities at the district and commune levels have been tasked with expanding the participant network.

Head of the VSS Department of Contribution Collection – Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card Duong Van Hao said the collection work and participant network expansion have reaped positive results.

In the coming time, the VSS will focus on tasks such as giving feedback on two draft laws of social insurance and health insurance, issuing guidelines for social and health insurance staff at enterprises.

The sector will call for the engagement of all authority levels, businesses and society in offering more policies and support to people living under disadvantaged circumstances to participate in the insurance, he said.

He said the VSS will order local social security offices to strengthen communication work and inspection, build a digital platform on collection data as well as hold experience-sharing workshops among localities and provide training for collectors.

Le Van Phuc, head of VSS Department of Health Insurance Policy Implementation, said the unit has actively and effectively worked with the health sector to make amendments to the health insurance law which is scheduled to be approved by the National Assembly this October.

At the same time, the unit has instructed local social security offices to implement Decree 75, he said.

 Nguyen Van Cuong, vice chairman of the VSS Management Council, speaks at the conference

According to the VSS Inspectorate Department, the unit has focused on imposing administrative punishments on social and health insurance.

Do Ngoc Tho, head of VSS Social Security Policy Implementation Department, the unit has been active in giving feedback to the amended social insurance law and wage reform policy.

The unit has also instructed local social security offices to manage and identify signs of profiteering from the social insurance fund, he said.

Delivering a report on communication work, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, director of VSS Information and Communication Center, said the unit has focused the dissemination on the rights and benefits of social, health insurance participants as well as new regulations on pension and social insurance allowance payment, adverse impacts of lump-sum insurance.

The centre will instruct local social security offices to implement the 2024 plan and coordinate with the VSS Customer Service Centre to organise 2024 training programmes, she said.

Implementing tasks from early months

Addressing the conference, VSS deputy general director Nguyen Duc Hoa asked units to keep an eye on the implementation of the health insurance law, research any obstacle, and propose solutions to ensure the feasibility in building the amended law.

He said the impacts of the amended regulations on affected subjects must be must be fully and detailed evaluated including health insurance patients, health insurance funds and the feasibility of new regulations and policies.

In order to secure the greatest possible benefits for patients, he urged the units to implement Decree 75, balance and manage the health insurance fund in a safe and efficient manner.

In order to control and prevent health insurance fund profiteering, VSS Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu demanded that the IT application be promoted and that software be updated and completed.

 VSS deputy general directors Tran Dinh Lieu, Le Hung Son, Nguyen Duc Hoa and Dao Viet Anh speak at the conference

Regarding the communication work, VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh asked the Information and Communication Centre to strengthen coordination with specialised units to create targeted and important communication plans, and pay attention to training, fostering, and improving professional qualifications for communication staff.

VSS Deputy General Director Le Hung Son said the VSS is working with other relevant agencies on the social insurance law amendment and pension adjustment plans.

VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh concluded the conference by praising the industry for its accomplishments over the previous two months and noting that most figures were higher than the same period in the previous year, indicating a strong start to the year.

He noted that as there are still many issues facing the sector, the whole industry must not stay negligent.

He stated that the VSS, which is tasked with guaranteeing social security, has effectively carried out its services to individuals and businesses, including providing social insurance books and health insurance cards to those in need over the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

VSS units’ leaders address at the conference

The General Director urged VSS units to strengthen communication work, with a focus on forecasting and closely following socio-economic and labour market fluctuations related to the sector's activities to have plans and scenarios for the future.

He also assigned tasks to VSS units to encourage workers to install the VssID-digital social insurance application and apply IT in task performance.

He ordered VSS specialised units to continue to work with relevant agencies in studying and making amendments to the laws on social insurance and health insurance.

He asked the units to strengthen management on slow insurance payment or debts while conducting unexpected and regular inspections to reduce debts.

The VSS units were tasked with advancing professional training and enhancing inspection teams' competencies.