According to the report, as of December 2021, around 88.83 million people nationwide participated in health insurance, a year-on-year increase of 793,000. The figure represents a coverage rate of 91.01 per cent of the total population, reaching 100.01 per cent of the target set by the National Assembly and the Government.

In 2021, social insurance agencies of localities signed contracts to provide medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance with 2,704 medical establishments, a year-on-year rise of nearly 4 per cent. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, only 125.3 million people underwent medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance, a year-on-year drop of 25.2 per cent.

These achievements were attributed to the efforts of VSS and relevant ministries and agencies in comprehensively implementing many measures to develop the number of health insurance participants.

However, some problems remained, including debts or low payment of health insurance contributions in many localities. Some localities face difficulties in allocating the State budget to support health insurance participants.

At the meeting, the Government proposed the National Assembly continue having policies to support businesses and workers in paying for health insurance; enhance supervision over the implementation of health insurance regulations; and deal with the abuse of the health insurance fund. The NA should allocate State budget for public health establishments to invest in buying medical equipment and upgrading testing systems to improve medical examination and treatment quality and ensure transparency in managing and using the health insurance fund.

VSS Deputy Director General Le Hung Son speaks at the meeting

Speaking at the meeting, NA Deputy Pham Khanh Phong Lan said people are still concerned about the shortage of medicine and medical materials which has affected medical examination and treatment tasks and the interests of health insurance card holders.

She said the problem has existed for many years, requiring measures to resolutely handle it.

She also pointed to the need to have “technical barriers” to protect made-in-Vietnam medicine to prevent imports of similar drugs, helping to reduce costs for patients and encourage the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry.

Vice Chairman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Dang Thuan Phong said it is essential to have proper measures to increase the number of health insurance participants and improve the quality of medical services.

Other participants recommended having more policies to support health insurance participants, particularly those who are no longer benefiting from the State budget support due to the enforcement of Government’s Decision No 861/QD-TTg on health insurance policies for those living in disadvantaged areas. Many people still have not escaped poverty and face many difficulties.

The seventh session of the NA Committee for Social Affairs

Talking about the impact of Decision No 861, VSS Deputy Director General Le Hung Son said following the enforcement of the Decision, the VSS reviewed and mobilised these people to participate in household health insurance. However, there are still 2.1 million people affected by the decision who have not yet participated in health insurance. Some localities have support policies for health insurance participants but those localities affected by the Decision failed to balance the budget to support participants.

Acting Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said challenges remained in medical examination and treatment tasks, including shortages of medicine due to the pandemic, improper policies and obstacles in regulations of the Law on Pharmacy.

Concluding the meeting, Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh said the Government report on the management and use of the health insurance fund in 2021 has many important contents, particularly in the development of health insurance participants and the use of the fund.

The committee will submit to the Government a report and delegates’ opinions at the meeting to the National Assembly as well as use the report and the opinions for the amendment of the Law on Health Insurance, she said./.