In the vibrant mosaic of Vietnam’s socio-economic evolution, the concept of social insurance emerges as a cornerstone, transcending its financial implications to embody a collective promise of stability and societal welfare. As the country strides forward, steeped in rich cultural heritage and rapid economic advancement, social insurance assumes an integral role, not just as a protective financial measure but as a testament to the nation’s commitment to its people’s holistic well-being.

In Vietnam, Health Insurance (HI) manifests in diverse forms, each tailored to cater to specific healthcare needs across the populace. This multifaceted system comprises various types of health insurance, offering distinct coverage to address different aspects of wellness. Primary health insurance covers essential medical services such as consultations, preventive care, and basic treatments. Complementing this, hospitalization coverage extends to inpatient care, surgeries, and specialized treatments for more critical health episodes. Maternity care is another vital aspect, ensuring comprehensive coverage for prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care, emphasizing the importance of maternal and child health. Additionally, chronic disease management provisions encompass ongoing treatments, necessary medications, and therapies, acknowledging the needs of those with long-term health conditions. Rehabilitation and specialized care cater to recovery post-injury or illness, granting access to rehabilitative services and specialist treatments. Preventive measures are also integral, promoting health screenings, education, and interventions to proactively manage health risks. Each type of health insurance serves as a vital component in ensuring holistic healthcare coverage across various health needs in Vietnam.Social Security in Vietnam extends its protective embrace to encompass diverse eligibility criteria and a comprehensive spectrum of benefits, emphasizing the foundational principles of social welfare.

Social Security in Vietnam extends its protective embrace to encompass diverse eligibility criteria and a comprehensive spectrum of benefits, emphasizing the foundational principles of social welfare. Mandatory participation in Vietnam’s social insurance system is a cornerstone of the country’s social security structure. It’s designed to offer protection and financial stability to all employees by pooling contributions from various stakeholders, including employees, employers, and the government. The Law on Social Insurance stipulates compulsory enrollment, emphasizing the collective responsibility of ensuring basic income security and access to essential healthcare services.

Since the Conference of the Central Committee in November 1940, the Communist Party of Vietnam has insisted that “it will issue a Law on Social Insurance” after establishing a revolutionary government and creating a superannuation fund for the elderly. Mastering that spirit, as early as 1941, the “Ten Policies of the Viet Minh” drafted by President Ho Chi Minh were once again set the goals of ensuring social security for the compatriots. It can be said that these are the very basic premises to build a system of social and health insurance policies in Vietnam later. That thought runs  like a red thread through the subsequent Constitutions of the State of Vietnam, “Everyone has the right to social security” (Article 34, 2013 Constitution).

The legal system of social and health insurance is increasingly being perfected and close to the practical requirements, legitimate rights and interests of workers and the people. The provisional decrees and regulations on social insurance have been upgraded to a higher legal basis and are implemented in everyday life  with the Law on Health Insurance in 2008, amended and supplemented in 2014. The law is a legal document institutionalizing the views and orientations of the Party and the State in realizing the goal of universal health insurance coverage, building Vietnam's healthcare system towards equity, efficiency and development. Accordingly, the healthcare covered by health insurance has been improved in a more favorable way for patients; the benefits of health insurance participants are increasingly expanded. The Health Insurance Fund has become an important financial source, accounting for an increasing proportion of total expenditures on medical examination, treatment and health care for people.

In particular, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all aspects of economic and social life, social insurance policies have further demonstrated the superiority, humanity, sharing and support to the people and employees, helping workers overcome difficulties due to lower earnings and unemployment. The social insurance industry promptly accomplishes urgent tasks, contributing to removing difficulties for production and business, ensuring social security, such as temporary suspension of contribution to retirement and survivors insurance for businesses, simplification of administrative procedures through electronic transactions, pension payment at home for the elderly...

Regarding the information technology application: The application of information technology in management has achieved many outstanding results, contributing to the renewal of operation methods and modernization of Vietnam's social insurance industry, meeting the requirements to build e-Government in the Fourth Industrial Revolution period.

To continue to provide convenient services for the people, Vietnam Social Security has researched, built and successfully deployed its application on the mobile devices for individuals “VssID - Digital Social Insurance”. ...

In addition to the achieved results, the implementation of social and health insurance policies still faces countless difficulties and challenges. Efforts should be made to achieve the goal of universal social and health insurance coverage.

In the coming time, Vietnam must focus on further promoting the reform and building of social insurance to truly become a key pillar of the so.

 Firstly, Vietnamese social security  industry should properly organize the implementation of scheme and policies on social and health insurance. It must proactively and actively work with relevant agencies to propose amendments and improvements to the system of policies and laws on social and health insurance in accordance with the real situation, in order to develop Vietnamese social security industry professionally and modernly for the satisfaction of organizations and individuals participating in social and health insurance.

Secondly, Vietnamese social security industry must renew and improve the quality and effectiveness of social and health insurance communications in the new situation in a professional and centralized way, suitable for each target group, focusing on the participants of voluntary social insurance and household-based health insurance.

Thirdly, with the motto of putting the people at the center of service, it is necessary to further promote the administrative procedures reform in the implementation of social and health insurance policies, reduce and simplify procedures to create convenience for organizations and individuals when conducting transactions with social insurance agencies; well implement online public services and inter-agency one-stop- shopmechanism in settling social and health insurance scheme and policies.

Fourthly, it needs to strengthen the application of information technology and comprehensively digitalize all operations of Vietnamese social security industry; as well as connect and share data with relevant ministries and industries to complete the national database on insurance. Also, it is essential to promote electronic payment as well as manage and utilize electronic documents in the system of social insurance agencies and on the National  Data Interlinking of Goverment.

Fifthly, Vietnam social security industry should promote the internal inspection, control  and audit of the social and health insurance law execution, especially the specialized inspection on payment of social and health insurance; and promptly detect and handle violations, frauds, and profiteering of the Social Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund.

Sixthly, it should strengthen bilateral, multilateral, regional and international cooperation in the field of social security; coordinate with relevant agencies to finalize the negotiation and submit to competent authorities for concluding and implementing agreements regarding social insurance with other countries./.