Nghe An: Striving to reach the milestone of 100,000 people participating in voluntary social insurance

In the first 6 months of 2021, thanks to the synchronous and flexible implementation of many solutions, the whole province has completed the dual goal of "both preventing and fighting the epidemic and completing assigned tasks"; many key targets of the whole province were highly appreciated by Vietnam Social Security, including the target on the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance. On the basis of promoting the achievements, Nghe An is determined to strive to reach the milestone of 100,000 people participating in voluntary social insurance as soon as possible; completing the target assigned by Vietnam Social Security.

Efforts to increase collection and increase the number of participants

From the beginning of 2021,Nghe An Provincial Social Insuranceadvised on including the target of the rate of people participating in health insurance, the rate of labor force participating in social insurance in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress for the term 2021-2025; Resolution of the Provincial People's Council in 2021; Decision on assigning socio-economic targets in 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee. Develop a scenario to urge collection and reduce outstanding social insurance and health insurance debts; Scenario to develop the number of social insurance and health insurance participants in 2021, in which, clearly define the list of tasks and implementation timeline, solutions to strive to complete the targets on collection and development of the number of social insurance and health insurance participants.

Coordinate with relevant departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 288/KH-UBND on organizing the Month of Mobilizing the implementation of Social Insurance and Health Insurance for all people, and propaganda activities on Social Insurance and Health Insurance in 2021. Strengthen coordination with departments, branches, political and social organizations, unions, Post Offices and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to effectively implement propaganda work on Social Insurance and Health Insurance policies at their agencies and localities; towards the goal of Social Insurance and Health Insurance for all people.

People participating in voluntary social insurance receive and compare information on their social insurance books at the social insurance and health insurance collection agency in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city. Photo: Provincial Social Insurance

Propaganda and direct dialogue with people in residential areas have been intensified since the first months of the year, organized at night and on weekdays following the motto "Social Insurance officers work in the office during the day and bring policies to the people at night". In the first 6 months of the year, the whole province organized more than 600 conferences to propagate social insurance and health insurance policies in hamlets, villages and hamlets.

In particular, as soon as Nghe An had the first Covid-19 case, direct policy propaganda at the conference scale could not be carried out, the provincial Social Insurance carried out propaganda in small groups, indirect communication via telephone, strengthened information and communication work on mass media; provincial Social Insurance electronic information portal; social networks Facebook, Zalo, YouTube...; propaganda through leaflets, banners, flags, clusters of panels, posters promoting social insurance and health insurance policies in front of the headquarters of Social Insurance agencies at all levels, on the main roads of the city, district, town; headquarters of People's Committees of wards and communes with many meaningful messages.

By the end of June 2021, the whole province had 2,962,016 people participating in social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance. Of which, the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance was 243,852 people (reaching 98.39% of the plan and an increase of 7,624 people compared to the end of 2020); the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance was 89,896 people (reaching 89.67% and an increase of 12,550 people); the number of people participating in health insurance was 2,871,939 people (reaching 97.68% and an increase of 28,656 people). The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance alone is equal to 8% of the total number of people participating in voluntary social insurance nationwide.

Total revenue reached over VND 3,528 billion, reaching 48.3% compared to the plan assigned by Vietnam Social Security in 2021, 3.3% higher than the target assigned by Vietnam Social Security for the first 6 months of 2021 (Vietnam Social Security assigned 45%); is one of the 10 provinces with the highest revenue nationwide; total debt is lower than the national average.

Social and health insurance benefits are always guaranteed.

Nghe An Social Insurance continues to implement solutions to accelerate administrative reform progress, apply information technology in performing tasks to promptly resolve social insurance and health insurance regimes and policies; continue to implement electronic transactions; promote propaganda, guide people to register for online public services, deploy VssID-Social Insurance digital application to establish communication channels and create conditions for social insurance and health insurance participants to access information, perform public services conveniently and easily, gradually replace paper social insurance books and health insurance cards. Review and shorten the time to handle administrative procedures of 05 administrative procedures in 03 areas of collection, books and cards, social insurance policies. The rate of files returning results on time is always over 99.6%.

Consulting for people to participate in social insurance and health insurance at the collection agency in Le Loi ward (Vinh city). Photo: Duc Anh

In particular, in the context of Vinh city implementing social distancing according to Directive 16, to ensure that the rights of employees are not interrupted, and that transactions between people and employers with the Social Insurance agency are guaranteed to be smooth, the Director of Nghe An Provincial Social Insurance requires units to "not let work stagnate, especially work with deadlines and statutes of limitations as prescribed and work related to handling administrative procedures for people".

The provincial Social Insurance arranges for staff and employees in the unit to use IT to work online at home, handle work on the application software of Vietnam Social Insurance; submit, approve, and issue documents via the Document Management and Operation System. Requires professional units to be responsible for the progress and quality of assigned work. Particularly at the Provincial Public Administration Service Center, there are always 2 permanent staff members, ready to support people and units to transact and carry out administrative procedures on social insurance, health insurance, etc.

Paying pension to Mr. Tran Dinh Tinh in block 3, Ha Huy Tap ward (Vinh city). Photo courtesy of Duc Anh.

In the first 6 months of 2021, the whole province settled social insurance benefits for 58,866 people, an increase of 4,194 people (7.67%) over the same period in 2020; paid pensions and social insurance benefits to 211,347 people, with a total amount of VND 4,590,781 million, an increase of 3,810 people, equivalent to an increase of VND 80,658 million over the same period in 2020.

The provincial Social Insurance has strengthened solutions to manage and use the health insurance fund economically and effectively; coordinated with the Department of Health to regularly support medical facilities to resolve difficulties related to the implementation of health insurance cost estimates and problems in the implementation of health insurance; and ensured health insurance benefits for health insurance participants.

Striving to reach the milestone of 100,000 people participating in voluntary social insurance

In the last months of 2021, it is forecasted that there will be many difficulties and challenges, especially in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic still evolving extremely complicatedly, unpredictably, and posing many potential risks. The provincial Social Insurance is determined to turn challenges into opportunities, to be united, proactive, and flexible in organizing implementation, determined to achieve the dual goal of "both preventing and fighting the epidemic and completing the 2021 targets". Nghe An Provincial Social Insurance continues to advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to develop and implement the Action Program, concretizing the tasks in the Resolution of the 19th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025.;Ensure progress in implementing key targets in 2021 such as administrative reform; propaganda to increase the number of participants, urge collection, reduce outstanding social insurance and health insurance debts; control health insurance treatment costs.

Handing over social insurance books to people participating in voluntary social insurance in Yen Thanh district. Photo: Document

In particular, with the joint efforts of the entire industry and the coordination of departments, branches, sectors, unions, political and social organizations, the provincial Social Insurance strives to reach the milestone of 100,000 people participating in voluntary social insurance as soon as possible, successfully completing the target of developing the number of voluntary social insurance participants in 2021. Flexibility, innovation, and diversification of propaganda forms, based on digital technology platforms are among the key and suitable solutions for the provincial Social Insurance to deploy propaganda work and mobilize people to participate in voluntary social insurance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Director of the provincial Social Insurance Hoang Van Minh shared.