Nghe An: Breakthrough in disseminating social insurance and health insurance policies

(Baonghean) - Comrade Le Truong Giang - Director of Nghe An Social Insurance answered an interview with Nghe An Newspaper.

PV:2016 is the year when many new policies in the Law on Amendments and Supplements to a number of Articles of the Law on Health Insurance and the Law on Social Insurance 2014 come into effect. Could you tell us about some outstanding results of the Nghe An Social Insurance sector after one year of implementing these new policies?

“Ring the Golden Bell” contest to learn about social insurance policies in Nghia Dan. Photo: D.C.

Comrade Le Truong Giang:Nghe An is a large area with a large population, while the content of policies and regimes on health insurance and social insurance have been amended and supplemented many times, the human resources of the provincial and district social insurance sectors are still lacking. In that situation, the provincial social insurance sector has identified the implementation of information and propaganda work on social insurance and health insurance policies to the majority of people and all workers as a "breakthrough step". Not only stopping at disseminating and propagating new points of the policy, orienting public opinion, directly solving problems that subjects are concerned about; pressing, building a good image of the sector, the propaganda work also aims to change the awareness of employers, workers, and people from compulsory to voluntary participation in social insurance and health insurance; thereby contributing to promoting the rapid increase in the number of people participating in social insurance and health insurance, especially in the condition that sanctions for violations of social insurance and health insurance are still inadequate and not deterrent enough.

As a result, as of December 31, 2016, the rate of people participating in health insurance reached 81.48% of the population, exceeding the target assigned by the Prime Minister (81%). In particular, some groups of subjects have high coverage rates such as pupils and students (95.82%)...; Total revenue from social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance was 4,706,950 million VND, reaching 103.77% of the estimate assigned by Vietnam Social Security, an increase of 515,270 million VND (the rate of achievement increased by 2.89%) compared to the same period in 2015; The total debt of the province as of December 31, 2016 was 70,671 million VND, accounting for 1.56% of the amount receivable according to the plan assigned by Vietnam Social Security, down 1.14% compared to 2015. Some groups of subjects have coverage rates exceeding the target assigned by the Provincial People's Committee: the group of subjects whose employees and employers pay social insurance and health insurance (87.2%; exceeding 0.2% compared to the assigned target) although in 2016, the number of employees in foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) decreased significantly; the group participating by households (reaching 33.8%; exceeding 4.8% compared to the assigned target)...

PV:To achieve the above results, what "breakthrough" solutions has Nghe An Social Insurance had in propaganda work, comrade?

Comrade Le Truong Giang:First: We identify target groups to develop propaganda goals and solutions, such as for Party committees, authorities, and state agencies: We propagate to receive guidance, assistance, and coordination in organizing policy implementation. Communication message: Social insurance and health insurance are major policies of the Party and State, and are the main pillars of the social security system.

For employers: Disseminate new points of the Social Insurance Law related to the expansion of compulsory social insurance participants, responsibilities and rights of employers, sanctions for violations, and crimes related to social insurance and health insurance as stipulated in the revised Penal Code; disseminate information on the reform of administrative procedures in the industry. Communication message: Social insurance accompanies businesses.

For formal sector workers: Propaganda on the responsibilities and rights of workers, the role of the Trade Union, the difficulties and solutions of the Social Insurance agency in performing the task of collecting and resolving social insurance regimes. Communication message: Social Insurance aims to ensure the rights of workers.

Consulting on social insurance and health insurance policies in localities. Photo: Social Insurance

For informal workers, students: Disseminate information on the rights, obligations, and support policies of the Central Budget and local budgets for voluntary social insurance participants, family health insurance participants, and near-poor households participating in health insurance; students... On that basis, provide specific information on the contribution level, payment method, and location of social insurance and health insurance premiums for each group of subjects.

Second: Determine the form of propaganda and communication suitable for target groups: Regarding mass media: This is a form aimed at all target groups. In 2016, in addition to strengthening visual propaganda work with billboards, banners, and propaganda flags at each time; Nghe An Social Insurance signed a coordination regulation with Nghe An Newspaper, Nghe An Radio and Television Station; signed a propaganda contract with Nghe An Labor Newspaper; Internal Information Page of the Enterprise Party Committee, Provincial, City, and Town Propaganda Department; Provincial Electronic Information Portal; Internal Information Pages of departments and branches all have links to the Provincial Social Insurance Electronic Information Page... In this form of propaganda, an issue of concern is the relationship with the press agencies. Nghe An Social Insurance assigned a Deputy Director to be the press spokesperson. In addition to providing information at the request of press agencies and journalists, we proactively provide and proactively request journalists to write articles and report on the industry's fields of operation.

Regarding communication aimed at target groups: This solution requires attention to the characteristics of the group to develop and implement propaganda solutions. Specifically: For Party committees, authorities, and mass organizations: The main form of propaganda is through the reporting regime: In writing, through regular meetings, conferences, reporter conferences, and training conferences organized by departments, branches, and mass organizations. For employers: Organize propaganda conferences, dialogues with enterprises, through working sessions between social insurance officers and units. For units that owe social insurance and health insurance: In addition to the usual forms, the provincial social insurance also organizes propaganda at working sessions between the Labor Inspectorate, social insurance and debt units (organized periodically at least 1 working session per month), such as sanctions, solutions to overcome difficulties, combined with propaganda on sanctions for violations of the law on social insurance and health insurance contributions.

In particular, for workers in the informal sector; students: In addition to organizing hundreds of propaganda sessions, direct dialogues with people and workers right at the locality; School Boards, students, parents right at school; through the activities of the Youth Union, the Youth Union Council to carry out propaganda work at extracurricular activities, exchanges, youth forums organized by the school; Provincial and district Social Insurance has coordinated with relevant departments, branches, and organizations to organize competitions in the form of dramatization. 2 competitions "Farmers with social insurance and health insurance policies" held in Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc attracted the enthusiastic participation of many people from all walks of life. Many theatrical works with elaborate staging and investment clearly reflected the humanistic meaning of social insurance and health insurance policies and the implementation process in the locality. The contests to learn about health insurance policies among students in the form of dramatization were held in 4 localities with low rates of students participating in health insurance, such as "Thanh Chuong Youth with Health Insurance Policy"; "Golden Bell Contest to learn about health insurance policies among students" in Dien Chau, Nghia Dan and Hoang Mai town, which had a widespread effect and brought about clear propaganda effects.

Third: Mobilizing resources and taking advantage of advantages for propaganda work. Based on the propaganda plan and budget estimate assigned by Vietnam Social Security, Nghe An Social Security has developed a propaganda plan, made a list of propaganda tasks, and allocated funds for each task and each implementing unit. Along with budget allocation, assigning the office to take the lead in advising, when organizing propaganda activities, assigning leaders of functional departments to participate in the content... In addition to promoting and effectively using the resources of the industry, the provincial Social Security has taken advantage of the advantages of coordinating units to carry out propaganda work. This is considered an important solution to mobilize the strength, human resources, and communication skills of the industries to participate with the motto "each officer and civil servant of the industries is a propagandist bringing social insurance and health insurance policies to the people and all workers"...

With specific propaganda solutions, along with the active participation of departments, branches and localities, the propaganda work of the provincial Social Insurance in the year has had a strong change in the direction of practicality, efficiency, high frequency of information, wider scope of information, direct propaganda forms to the people and workers have been promoted, there have been a number of propaganda activities that have created a strong impression on the majority of people; contributing to the completion of the political tasks of the whole sector, contributing to increasing the coverage of social insurance and health insurance in the province.

PV:From the practice in Nghe An, what recommendations do you have to make the propaganda work of the Social Insurance sector more and more effective?

Comrade Le Truong Giang:Based on practical requirements and assigned tasks, in order for propaganda work to be highly effective in the coming time, Nghe An Social Insurance has the following recommendations:

Firstly: Research to establish a Propaganda Department under the provincial Social Insurance, increase the number of staff doing propaganda work at Social Insurance of districts, cities and towns to perform the function of propaganda work and support employers, employees and people in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies.

Second: Research on organizing events such as the Ceremony to launch the national participation in health insurance; at the same time, research on organizing communication activities to mobilize funding sources to support the costs for informal sector workers to pay social insurance and health insurance.

PV:Thanks comrade!

Duc Chuyen(Perform)