Accordingly, social insurance/health insurance premium collectors authorised by VSS would get better guidlines when collecting premiums from voluntary social insurance participants or those who get the insurance cards with premiums supported by the state budget and household health insurance in accordance with the law.

The new regulation replaces the old one issued together with Decision 1599/QD-BHXH.

Through reviewing legal regulations, there are currently no specific guidelines on "service organisations". Therefore, to have a basis for developing new content, VSS carefully studied relevant issues, considering practical requirements.

Since July 2020, VSS held seminars with 15 social insurance agencies in northern provinces/cities and 15 in southern provinces/cities to collect opinions on the development of a new draft of the regulation.

After summarising comments and suggestions from social insurance agencies of provinces, cities and affiliated units, VSS continued to consult with relevant ministries and branches such as Government Office, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Vietnam Women's Union and Vietnam Farmers' Association. It was proposed to guide and clarify the "collection service organisation" authorised by the social insurance agency.

In June 2021, VSS issued Official Letter 1609/BHXH-TST reporting to the Prime Minister on problems in implementing authorised collection activities. Accordingly, on June 19, 2021, the Government Office issued Official Letter 4116/VPCP-KTTH requesting the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to handle the above problems. After repeatedly consulting ministries and branches and the direction of the Party Committee of the VSS, the regulation on the management of activities of service organisations collecting social insurance and health insurance replaces the Regulation in Decision 1599/QD that was issued on May 10, 2022.

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Ensure accuracy and standards, creating a modern and unified management process across the country

The new regulation consists of six chapters, stipulating the basic contents of the scope of regulation and subjects of application; service organisations, employees who are responsible for collecting social insurance and health insurance; authorisation contract for collection of social insurance and health insurance; contract signing process; professional training and training for service organisations and form system, and the reporting system.

Accordingly, the contents are developed and regulated in detail. Notably, the process of managing data of service organisations and employees has been effectively built. Under the regulation, the responsibilities of the collection officer at the district social insurance agency/collection management department, the district social insurance director/head of the collection management department, the provincial social insurance director, and the head of the collection and card book management department are clearly defined.

The decentralisation and requirements set out in each management position are very specific to each hour. For example, before 3pm on the 2nd day of every month, what the collection officer of the district social insurance agency/Department of Collection Management should do; before 3pm on the 3rd day of every month, what the director of the district social insurance agency/head of the collection management department should do.

Similarly, it is the responsibility of the director of the provincial social insurance agency, the head of the collection management department, the card book with requirements set out by time and by date.

To each task, after five minutes of not being performed, the management software automatically locks the data. This is something that needs special attention and good implementation to ensure accuracy and create a modern and unified management process across the country.

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Facing the pressures of collecting and developing participants of social insurance and health insurance of Viet Nam's social insurance industry in 2022 as well as the contents under the new regulations, VSS has been carefully seeking flexible, creative and closely coordinated implementation, ensuring effective implementation.

Accordingly, as the first step, the local social insurance agency must quickly review, notify and send invitations to service organizations in the area; notify the coordination in the collection and development of participants of voluntary social insurance and self-paying health insurance through an authorisation contract; and implement the management of the collection service of social insurance and health insurance for service organisations in the locality.

In case collection agents are not eligible to operate under the new regulations, the transitional regulations also clearly state that the contract of the collection agency signed according to the provisions of Decision No 1599/QD-BHXH was valid until the end of June 30, 2022; terminate and liquidate the contract according to the provisions of this regulation. A collection agent that is a qualified service organisation shall sign an authorisation contract for collection of social insurance and health insurance according to this regulation.

Collectors of organisations that do not sign contracts under the new regulations, if necessary, will register with the service organisation to continue working as collectors and use the collection agency staff card until the expiry date listed on the card.

A new workload needs to be implemented with a proactive spirit to ensure that there is no impact or influence on the development of participants in voluntary social insurance and household health insurance.

Decision No 1155/QD-BHXH takes effect from May 12, 2022, replacing Decision No 1599/QD-BHXH dated October 28, 2016 of the General Director of VSS./.