Manh made the order when he chaired a briefing on May 5. The meeting was attended by Nguyen Van Cuong, Deputy Chair Commissioner of the Viet Nam Social Security Board of Commissioners; and four VSS Deputy General Directors Tran Dinh Lieu, Le Hung Son, Nguyen Duc Hoa and Chu Manh Sinh.

Manh said the units have to make reports that clearly assess the current situation, propose amendments to the laws, ensuring compliance with practical requirements.

He also directed relevant units of the agency to quickly deploy technical steps to ensure the effective use of the national insurance database and optimise public services on social and health insurance.

“It is necessary to strengthen research, propose, and promote the advantages of available data sources to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to the insurance sector's professional activities,” he said.

The insurance sector is required to promote administrative reform, information and technology application, digital transformation as well as the implementation of the Government's Project 06 (project on developing and applying the population database and electronic identification and authentication), in order to complete assigned tasks, he said.

Besides, it needs to focus on ensuring the interests of the people and employees, especially health-insurance participants undergoing medical treatment, covered by the health insurance fund, he said.

It has to deploy solutions to support and remove difficulties for medical facilities, he said.

It should drastically take measures to reduce the debt of social insurance from businesses and units in localities, he said.

To attract more participants, it is necessary to further innovate the content, form and methods of dissemination related to social and health insurance, highlighting what benefits the social insurance sector has brought to participants and beneficiaries, he said.

The head of each Viet Nam Social Security unit has to take responsibility if the unit fails to complete the assigned tasks, he said.

Viet Nam Social Security Director General Nguyen The Manh delivers his speech at the briefing

Outstanding results

Data from the agency showed that, by the end of April 2023, the total number of people participating in social insurance nationwide reached 17.1 million, an increase of 503,000 people compared to the same period last year.

Of which, the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance reached 1.4 million, an increase of 122,000 people compared to the same period last year.

The number of people participating in health insurance reached over 90.2 million, an increase of 4.4 million people compared to the same period last year.

Total revenue from social, health and unemployment insurance increased by VND1.43 trillion (US$61.1 million) over the same period last year.

Benefits for participants from social, health and unemployment insurance continue to be guaranteed.

Accordingly, the number of people benefiting from unemployment insurance reached 94,506 while the number of people benefiting from health insurance reached 13 million in April, with a total expenditure of VND 9.1 trillion ($389 million).

The reform of administrative procedures, the application of information and technology and the promotion of digital transformation have been effectively carried out.

In April, the agency set up a team to assess the implementation of two groups of administrative procedures of birth registration, permanent residence registration, and issuance of health insurance cards for children under six years old; registration of death, deletion of permanent residence registration, funeral allowance, and support for funeral expenses in Ha Noi and Ha Nam Province.

Based on the assessment, the agency will complete the process of connecting the implementation of these two groups of procedures.

The agency has also actively coordinated with relevant ministries in the amendment of important draft laws and documents related to the implementation of social and health insurance policies.

Dissemination of policies and laws related to social and health insurance has been constantly promoted, and diversified in both content and form.

Challenges and solutions

Delegates at the briefing

Le Van Phuc, head of the Department of Social Insurance Implementation, said that the medical examination and treatment costs in some localities in the first quarter of the year were reported to increase compared to the same period last year.

The increase in the number of people being examined and treated, covered by the health insurance fund, is behind the increase in the medical examination and treatment costs, he said.

Besides, the draft amending Decree 146, which allows the removal of the limitation of total payment for a health-insurance participant, also makes medical facilities use more medical services in examination and treatment for health-insurance participants than before, he said.

Duong Van Hao, head of the Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card, said the number of people participating in social and health insurance showed signs of slowing down.

It is because large enterprises and corporations in localities have faced difficulties after the COVID-19 pandemic, then some corporations had to reduce the number of employees, he said.

Some businesses, especially those operating in the provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Bac Giang and HCM City, said if they do not have new orders, they have to cut the number of workers between July and September this year, he said.

Deputy General Director Nguyen Duc Hoa said the task of controlling examination and treatment costs, covered by health insurance, is really difficult this year.

“It needs to focus on controlling the costs in a reasonable direction; making in-depth analysis of cost-effectiveness,” he said.

In addition, it should strictly implement the new assessment process issued by the agency, he said.

At the same time, it is necessary to closely work with relevant agencies and ministries to consult policy formulation, thereby, limiting difficulties and obstacles that may arise in practice, he said.

The Department of Health Insurance Implementation and the Centre for Medical Claim Review are told to take the initiative in organising professional training this year and guiding the payment of examination and treatment costs by the health insurance fund last year as well as making the preparation of an estimate for the costs this year, he said.

Duong Van Hao, head of the Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card, said to fix the situation, he will direct social insurance offices in provinces and cities to take drastic measures to increase the number of participants.

Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh suggested it should strengthen the dissemination and pay attention to improving the professional qualifications of staff working in dissemination.