Towards the goal of universal health insurance

(Baonghean) -From July 1, 2009, the Law on Health Insurance (HI) officially took effect and July 1 was also chosen as Vietnam Health Insurance Day. After 4 years of implementation, the law has gradually entered life, changing people's awareness and contributing significantly to ensuring social security... With that meaning, our Party and State are aiming for the goal of "universal health insurance" by 2020.

This can be clearly seen through the themes that the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security have put forward in the years on the occasion of Vietnam Health Insurance Day. If in the first year when the Law on Health Insurance was put into effect, the theme only stopped at “Quality and patient satisfaction”, then the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security took the goal of “universal health insurance” as the main theme. In 2013 alone, the chosen theme was “Promoting the implementation of the goal towards universal health insurance”. At the same time, the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security organized the implementation of the Project: “Implementing the roadmap towards universal health insurance in the period 2012-2015 and 2020”. The main objectives are: to expand the coverage of health insurance, ensure the rights of health insurance participants, increase the proportion of the population participating in health insurance, improve the quality of health insurance examination and treatment, ensure the rights of health insurance participants according to the provisions of law, and meet the medical examination and treatment needs of health insurance participants.

Propaganda about voluntary health insurance for people
at Quan Hanh Town Medical Station (Nghi Loc)

In Nghe An, before the Law on Health Insurance came into effect, the work of issuing, distributing cards and providing medical examination and treatment for patients with health insurance cards was also of great concern to the government, departments and localities. After July 1, 2009, the provincial Social Insurance advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue many documents directing the work of paying health insurance and health insurance policies. For example, in 2012, the provincial Social Insurance advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Official Dispatch No. 6950/UBND-TM dated October 4, 2012 to strengthen the management of purchasing and issuing health insurance cards for subjects guaranteed by the State Budget. The Director of the provincial Social Insurance issued Decision No. 516/QD-BHXH approving the plan for printing and issuing health insurance cards with specific solutions to ensure the goal of health insurance cards reaching cardholders before the time the health insurance cards are valid for use and to overcome the situation of duplicated, blurred, and incorrect information health insurance cards. Nghe An is also the best performing province in the North Central region in implementing health insurance cards for near-poor households according to the State's policy and the North Central Health Support Project.

Thanks to synchronous solutions, especially thanks to mobilizing and promoting the strength of the entire political system in leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of the health insurance policy, up to now, the whole province has over 2 million people with health insurance cards (accounting for about 65%), of which the number of subjects are officials, retirees, poor households, near-poor households, and children under 6 years old is over 90%. Along with card issuance, in recent years, medical examination and treatment, patient care at medical examination and treatment facilities have also received increasing attention with a team of highly skilled doctors and modern facilities. The issuance of health insurance cards is generally complete and timely, creating convenience for participants to be examined, treated, and paid according to regulations.

Despite the above successes, in reality, implementing the goal of universal health insurance by 2020 in our province still faces many challenges. That is, the rate of people voluntarily paying for health insurance cards is still low, the number of people buying health insurance cards among students tends to decrease, and coordination with related sectors in identifying and managing health insurance participants is not good and not tight. Faced with this reality, in the coming time, Nghe An Provincial Social Insurance will have to implement many solutions to increase the coverage of health insurance cards in all groups of subjects. In terms of policy, in addition to policies to support health insurance cards for poor and near-poor households, the province will also include the goals and plans to implement the universal health insurance roadmap in the province's social development programs, in the new rural development program, implementing health programs, projects to reduce hospital overload, and projects to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment.

For groups of people with low health insurance participation rates, in addition to strengthening propaganda work, we will mobilize participation and organize insurance agents to ensure that people in need have access to information and convenience in the participation process; develop a mechanism for collecting health insurance contributions in terms of time and form of collection suitable for business activities; develop a health insurance development plan for school students, make the criteria on health insurance participation rate one of the criteria for evaluating the competition of education departments and schools, adjust and supplement documents, guide the preparation of lists, hand over lists for children under 6 years old between the People's Committees of communes, wards and towns with the Department of Labor, Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs and social insurance agencies, improve the quality of health insurance examination and treatment...

Over many years of implementation, the superiority of the health insurance policy has been recognized by the majority of people through medical examinations and treatments at medical facilities. Health insurance revenue has created an important financial source, actively supporting people's health care and ensuring social security. Promoting the process of universal health insurance is considered by the Department of Health and Social Insurance of Nghe An as an important goal and task in the coming years, considering it the shortest way to implement people's health care and improve the quality of medical examination and treatment. In order for that goal to be completed soon, it is necessary to have more participation from sectors, levels, local authorities, and the trust and support of the majority of people.

Article and photos: My Ha