They are the major achievements that the agency has obtained so far, gradually affirming the policy of social and health insurance as one of the main pillars of the country’s social security system.

It also contributes to the realisation of social progress, ensuring socio-political stability and the socio-economic development of the country.

Illustrative photo: Participants in social, health and unemployment insurance have been constantly increasing over the past 27 years

Data compiled by the agency shows that the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance increased from 2.3 million to 12.1 million between 1995 and 2015. The number reached 15.1 million in 2021.

This means the figure has increased by nearly 6.6 times between 1995 and 2021.

The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance increased from 6,000 people in 2008 to nearly 218,000 in 2015. The number reached 1.45 million by 2021.

This represents an increase of about 241.7 times between 2008 and 2021.

The number of people participating in health insurance increased from 7.1 million to 70 million between 1995 and 2015. The figure reached 88.8 million by 2021, equal to over 91 per cent of the total population.

This represents an increase of about 12.5 times between 1995 and 2021.

The number of people participating in unemployment insurance increased from nearly 6 million people to 10.3 million people between 2009 and 2015. The figure reached 13.4 million by 2021.

This represents an increase of about 2.24 times between 2009 and 2021.

Administrative reform

The sector has also simplified administrative procedures by promoting electronic transactions, increasing the use of public services and shortening processing time to ensure the rights of participants.

The number of administrative procedures was reduced from 263 to 25 between 2009 and 2021.

Currently, all administrative procedures have been offered online at level 4. [Public service at level 4 allows users to fill in and send application forms to the People’s Committees at ward or commune-level entirely online. The forms are then processed online and users can pay the fees online.]

Moreover, a number of administrative procedures to support employees and employers were shortened from five processing days to only one day. The agency also provided an additional eight public services on the agency’s online public service portal.

It has connected and integrated its online public services on the National Service Portal to smoothly implement the policies to support employees and employers facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

Illustrative photo: Viet Nam Social Security has always ensured the benefits of participants.

Statistics show that the agency already covered expenses of sickness, maternity, convalescence and health rehabilitation for nearly 135.7 million participants between 1995 and 2021.

It also paid unemployment insurance for 8.7 million participants between 2010 and 2021.

About 3.3 million participants received pensions and monthly allowances from the agency’s fund between 1995 and 2021.

Especially, in 2020 and 2021, the agency quickly and flexibly adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic’s developments to effectively deploy solutions and ensure the rights of participants.

The agency has actively consulted the Party, State and Government to promulgate many mechanisms and policies to support people and businesses during the pandemic, especially Resolution No 42/NQ-CP, Resolution No 68/NQ-CP and Resolution No 116/NQ-CP.

The agency had mobilised all resources to speed up the disbursement progress; using the advantages of the IT system, minimising processing time to effectively implement the resolutions, contributing to supporting millions of employees and employers to overcome difficulties, stabilise their lives and restore production and business during the pandemic.

Illustrative photo: Viet Nam Social Security has effectively implemented policies to support employees and employers facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the agency had paid total support of nearly VND44.8 trillion (US$1.98 billion) from the social insurance fund and unemployment insurance fund to employees and employers in the country, including over VND38 trillion (US$1.67 billion) from the unemployment insurance fund.

Promoting application of IT

The agency’s promotion of IT started in 2015 to meet the requirements of building an e-Government in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.

It has completed the issuance of social-insurance identification numbers for 97 million people so far, including nearly 86 million health-insurance participants.

Additionally, it has connected the health-insurance information system with 13,000 healthcare facilities so far, equaling nearly 100 per cent of the total healthcare facilities nationwide.

The agency has also connected and shared data with ministries and sectors, especially synchronising data with the national population database and sharing data for authorised agencies to serve pandemic prevention and control activities.

Illustrative photo: Viet Nam Social Security has reformed administrative procedures, promoting the application of IT to better serve participants.

The operation of VssID – the digital social insurance application – is considered a strong step forward in the administrative reform and application of IT by the agency.

By December 31, 2021, nearly 30 million people installed and used the application. The operation of the application has contributed to initial success in the digital transformation of the agency.

Applying information and technology in many professional activities of the agency has positively changed methods of management, working, and transactions among the agency’s social insurance officers with people and businesses.

Thanks to the changes, the agency came first in the e-Government ranking of Government agencies for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020.