Ensuring health insurance benefits for people in coastal areas

That is the affirmation of Mr. Pham Luong Son - Head of Health Insurance Policy Implementation Department (Vietnam Social Security).

Recently, according to the reflection of some people in the coastal areas about the delay in issuing free health insurance cards to people here, which has affected the enjoyment of people's rights when going to see a doctor or get health insurance treatment, Mr. Pham Luong Son said that when the amended and supplemented Law on Health Insurance takes effect, one of the key tasks that the entire political system in our country is focusing on is to develop the subjects participating in health insurance, towards universal health insurance.

Our government has included many social beneficiaries, including people in difficult and especially difficult situations, and people in coastal areas, in accordance with the Prime Minister's Decision to be granted free health insurance cards. The Ministry of Finance has also allocated budget resources to be granted from the central government to localities. However, for some reasons, many people who should have enjoyed this policy have had their cards issued late and are struggling to pay for medical care if they have to go to the hospital.

Even though medical service prices increase, people with health insurance are not affected.

Regarding the documents guiding the implementation of this policy of Vietnam Social Security, Head of the Department Pham Luong Son affirmed that since the last months of 2015, Vietnam Social Security has developed a plan to guide the development of health insurance in 2016 according to the Prime Minister's Decision on assigning targets for the development of health insurance subjects, aiming to have over 80% of the population participating in health insurance by 2020.

Specifically, for people living in coastal areas, island communes, and areas with special socio-economic difficulties, according to the decision of the Prime Minister and the Ethnic Committee; Vietnam Social Security has made recommendations to the Government that while waiting for the issuance of a new decision to replace Decision 539/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on approving the List of particularly difficult communes in coastal areas and islands, it is allowed to extend or extend the period of use of health insurance cards for this subject. This recommendation has been agreed by the Government and Vietnam Social Security has issued a document guiding local social security agencies to extend the validity until June 30, 2016 for cards issued in 2015.

This extension is not only for half a year, but during that time, Vietnam Social Security is actively recommending to the Government and Ministries and State management agencies to issue legal regulations to have a basis for making a list of issuing new health insurance cards for these subjects. In case by the end of May 2016 there are no guiding documents for implementation, Vietnam Social Security will continue to report to the Government to continue extending the time of using health insurance cards, ensuring the legitimate rights of the people.

Vietnam Social Security strives to achieve the target of 75% of the population participating in health insurance this year. (Illustration photo).

Regarding the results of the implementation of free health insurance cards for people in coastal areas, Head of the Health Insurance Policy Implementation Board Pham Luong Son said that according to the Prime Minister's Regulations, there are currently 131 communes in 22 provinces and cities classified as coastal communes. Vietnam Social Security has promptly guided and directed the implementation of this policy to coastal communes.

However, according to current statistics, some provinces are implementing very actively but some provinces are still slow. Vietnam Social Security has directed Social Security of provinces and cities with island communes and coastal areas on two aspects, first, urgently report to the Provincial People's Committee on the policy of extending cards and issuing new cards to policy beneficiaries and second, it must be clearly determined that this is not the people's fault so that timely solutions can be taken.

In the late issuance of health insurance cards, many agencies are responsible. For people living in coastal areas, island communes, and island districts, the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Health Insurance Law and the documents guiding the implementation of the regulations are very clear. The responsibility for making the list belongs to the People's Committee at the commune level, the responsibility for approval belongs to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. The responsibility of the Social Insurance agency is to receive the list, check and review, print the cards and send them to the People's Committee at the commune level to deliver to the people.

This delay is the responsibility of many levels, including a part of the Social Insurance agency. To a certain extent, the Social Insurance has not proactively advised the Provincial People's Committee, nor has it proactively coordinated more actively with local authorities and functional agencies, accelerated the list making, financial resources assurance, review, card printing, and has not proactively brought the cards to the people once they have been printed. Vietnam Social Insurance has asked the Provincial Social Insurance to learn from this experience.

Presenting the Logo to give 1,000 Health Insurance cards to 1,000 poor and near-poor households in Hung Nguyen and Nghi Loc districts. (Illustration photo)

Regarding solutions, Mr. Pham Luong Son said that many synchronous solutions are needed to overcome this situation and anticipate other possibilities so as not to affect the rights of patients. First, it is necessary to submit to the Government soon to issue decisions to recognize island communes, coastal areas, and areas with difficult and especially difficult socio-economic conditions. The second issue is that it is necessary to clearly define not only the responsibilities of one level and one sector but also to have close coordination and not to shirk responsibility. The commune is responsible for making the list but must have the active participation of many sectors, from the Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs sector, the Social Insurance sector, as well as political organizations and unions at the grassroots level. The third issue is that there must be a proactive mechanism to ensure financial resources for issuing health insurance cards to people.

In their actions, all levels and sectors put the people first, with the patient as the center. When people do not have a health insurance card but can prove that they are from that area, there must be situational solutions to ensure the rights of the patient. This is the consistent guiding viewpoint of Vietnam Social Security for provincial social security. Therefore, there have been many cases, although they do not have a card, when they are determined to be policy subjects, they can be resolved flexibly, the verification of health insurance will be taken care of later to ensure maximum benefits for people when going to health insurance for examination and treatment./.

According to Vietnam Social Security Online