Vietnam Social Security proposes to increase the level of support for voluntary social insurance and health insurance contributions.

Proposal to increase the level of health insurance support for agricultural, forestry, fishery and salt workers with an average living standard to 50%

Specifically, in Official Dispatch No. 1179/BHXH-TST sent to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam Social Security stated that as of December 31, 2020, there were 87.93 million people participating in health insurance nationwide, reaching 90.85% of the population. Of which, more than 2.5 million people from households working in agriculture, forestry, fishery and salt production with an average living standard participated.Health insurance.

This group of subjects is mainly concentrated in localities such as: Bac Giang (331 thousand participants); Nam Dinh (219 thousand participants); Ha Tinh (257 thousand participants); Ha Nam (195 thousand participants), Ninh Binh (155 thousand participants), ... are provinces that support additional contributions beyond the State's prescribed level with a support level of 20% for participants.

In addition, many local budgets have not provided additional support beyond the State's regulations, so there are no people participating in health insurance for this group of subjects, such as: Hoa Binh, Lang Son, Binh Thuan, Dak Nong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau.

To strive to achieve the goal of having 95% of the population participating in health insurance by 2025 according to Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 6th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee on strengthening the protection, care and improvement of people's health in the new situation, Vietnam Social Security proposed that the Ministry of Health report and submit to the Government to increase the level of health insurance premium support for people in households working in agriculture, forestry, fishery and salt production with an average living standard from 30% to 50%.

Farmers are the subjects proposed to increase the level of support for health insurance contributions. Photo courtesy of Xuan Hoang

The reality of implementing social security policies shows that, in recent years, the health insurance policy has gradually affirmed and promoted its role as one of the main pillars of the social security system; an important health financial mechanism that accompanies people when they are sick or ill to continue their lives. The above proposal to increase the level of health insurance contribution support will facilitate more and more people to access, participate in and benefit from the health insurance policy, contributing to the completion of the goal of taking care of people's health of our Party and State.

Proposal to increase the level of support for voluntary social insurance contributions for participants

Implementing the recommendation of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs in Document No. 2602/UBVĐXH14 dated March 18, 2020 on solutions to expand social insurance coverage, accordingly, Vietnam Social Security proposed to increase the support level for voluntary social insurance contributions from 30% to 50% for people in poor households, from 25% to 30% for people in near-poor households and from 10% to 20% for the remaining subjects.

Accordingly,Vietnam Social SecuritySend Official Dispatch No. 1180/BHXH-TST requesting the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to continue reporting and submitting to the Government to amend Decree No. 134/2015/ND-CP dated December 29, 2015 of the Government detailing a number of articles of the Law on Social Insurance on voluntary social insurance, in the direction of increasing the level of support for voluntary social insurance participants according to the above proposed level.

Propaganda, mobilization and registration procedures for voluntary social insurance for people right at home. Photo: Document

With the goal of ensuring that more and more people are guaranteed social security after retirement age, the voluntary social insurance policy was introduced in 2008 to create opportunities for all workers in the informal sector to participate in social insurance. After 12 years of implementation, especially from the second half of 2018 to present, along with the political orientation of implementing "social insurance for all people" affirmed in Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee, the development of voluntary social insurance has made many breakthroughs.

Specifically, from 2008 to the end of 2018, the total number of people participating in voluntary social insurance only reached over 277 thousand participants. But in 2019 alone, the number of participants reached nearly 574 thousand people; of which, the number of new voluntary social insurance participants in 2019 was equal to the total number of voluntary social insurance participants developed in the previous 11 years combined. By the end of 2020, the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance was 1.128 million participants (an increase of 554 thousand people, more than double compared to 2019; reaching about 2.1% of the working-age labor force including farmers and informal sector workers participating in voluntary social insurance, exceeding the 2021 target assigned in Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW of the 12th Central Executive Committee).

Although in recent years, the development of voluntary social insurance participants has made remarkable and impressive progress, compared to the potential, the number of voluntary social insurance participants is still very low, especially for those in poor and near-poor households. Therefore, with the proposal to increase the level of support for participantsVoluntary social insurance, especially for people in low-income households, especially for people in poor and near-poor households. Therefore, the proposal to increase the level of support for voluntary social insurance participants, especially for people in poor and near-poor households, will create conditions to help them have the ability to participate in voluntary social insurance, contributing to the completion of the goal of universal social insurance so that all people can participate in the safety net and have a shared social insurance policy, ensuring life in old age.

It can be seen that, in the contextCovid-19 epidemicseriously impacting all aspects of social life, having the opportunity to be assisted in participating in and enjoying social insurance and health insurance policies is extremely important for people. Therefore, to firmly protect themselves against unfortunate risks in life, people always need a safe support and choosing to participate in social insurance and health insurance policies is the optimal and safest choice for each person./.