Highlights in administrative reform of the social insurance sector

In recent times, Vietnam Social Security has focused all resources, implemented many strong solutions, minimized administrative procedures, time, and costs for people and businesses in performing transactions on social insurance and health insurance with social insurance agencies, and has been recognized and highly appreciated by the Government, the business community, and people.

Cut many administrative procedures, creating convenience for businesses

Enterprises do not have to keep and manage social insurance books for employees:

According to the 2014 amended Social Insurance Law, employees have the right to be issued and managed social insurance books. Therefore, businesses do not have to keep and manage social insurance books for employees.

To implement this regulation, since October 2016, Vietnam Social Security has reviewed and returned social insurance books to employees. By December 31, 2018, the social insurance sector had basically completed the review and delivered 13.3 million books to employees (reaching 99.28% of the total number of participating employees).

Thanks to that, from January 2019 to now, 100% of businesses have reduced time and human resources to update and store social insurance books.

Vietnam Social Security's efforts to reform administrative procedures and apply IT have been recognized and highly appreciated by the Government and people. Photo: PV

Not only does it reduce the time and manpower in managing social insurance books for employees, from 2018, businesses will continue to "benefit" by not having to review and make a list of requests to change health insurance cards annually for employees.

If before August 2017, enterprises had to review and make a list of proposals to change health insurance cards annually for employees, from September 2017 to now, Vietnam Social Security has built a centralized database system to manage health insurance cards, accordingly, health insurance cards of employees working at enterprises are automatically renewed by the social security agency.

These changes bring many benefits to businesses and health insurance card users, especially businesses can significantly reduce the time to carry out procedures for requesting card renewal, receiving cards, and transferring health insurance cards to each employee.

Simplify the criteria that need to be declared in the administrative procedure "Registering and adjusting compulsory social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, occupational accident and disease insurance; issuing social insurance books and health insurance cards":

Vietnam Social Security has reviewed and simplified the criteria that need to be declared on the form of Declaration of units participating in and adjusting social insurance and health insurance (Form TK1-TS) and the form of Declaration of individuals participating in and adjusting social insurance and health insurance information (Form TK3-TS).

Vietnam Social Security strives to reform administrative procedures and apply IT to improve service quality for people and businesses. Photo: PV

Specifically, enterprises only need to declare 5 criteria out of 12 criteria in the Declaration Form for individuals participating in and adjusting information on social insurance and health insurance (TK3-TS) when updating changes in information of the unit; only need to review and confirm 5 criteria out of 14 criteria in the Declaration Form for units participating in and adjusting social insurance and health insurance (TK1-TS) of employees when updating changes in information of employees. This change helps enterprises reduce the time to re-declare other criteria in the Declaration Form when there is a change in information compared to applying previous regulations.

Simplify profile components, redesign declaration formsHelp businesses reduce the time to update information to request settlement of social insurance regimes for employees:

In Decision No. 777/QD-BHXH dated June 24, 2019 of the General Director of Vietnam Social Security on the announcement of the replaced and abolished administrative procedures in the field of resolving social insurance benefits and payment of social insurance benefits, the Social Insurance under the jurisdiction of Vietnam Social Security has simplified the form of the unit's request for settlement of occupational accident or occupational disease benefits for employees (Form 05A-HSB) in the direction of removing the declaration requirement in the way that the declarant must clearly write the content and replacing it with the form of selecting and ticking the boxes containing the appropriate content; removing the confirmation of the person preparing the form and the grassroots trade union, only requiring 01 signature of confirmation of the unit in the List of requests for settlement of sickness, maternity, and health recovery benefits (Form 01B-HSB).

Consulting on voluntary social insurance policy for people in Hung Dung ward - Vinh city. Photo courtesy of My Ha

“Breakthrough” in Information Technology application

Strengthening support for businesses in declaring social insurance dossiers for employees, supporting individuals in declaring dossiers requesting settlement of social insurance regimes via electronic transactions:

Since 2017, the Social Insurance industry has started to implement the form of declaring and paying social insurance via electronic transactions, helping businesses reduce travel and waiting time when submitting documents directly at the Social Insurance agency.

Accordingly, the time limit for receiving confirmation of electronic transaction records and the waiting time for acceptance of file completion has been shortened to a maximum of 02 hours per working day, from the time of receiving the electronic social insurance records of organizations and individuals.

Currently, with the promotion of the development of multimedia interactive systems with people and businesses, the implementation of notifications about the process of receiving and handling administrative procedures of the Industry to people and businesses is increasingly shortened in time and diversified in forms such as sending emails and text messages.

Resolving policies for people at Vinh City Social Insurance. Photo courtesy of My Ha

Vietnam Social Security has officially upgraded and provided free of charge the Social Security Declaration and Payment Software (K-BHXH Software) to the web version to support employers and individuals participating in electronic transactions with the Social Security agency from August 12, 2019.

Accordingly, businesses and individuals only need to use electronic devices with Internet connection to be able to declare "Pay Social Insurance" online at the address: https://dichvucong.baohiemxahoi.gov.v; along with that, individuals are allowed to submit documents for 08 administrative procedures related to resolving social insurance regimes via electronic transactions. In case individuals perform electronic transactions in the field of social insurance but have not been granted a digital certificate, they can use the electronic transaction authentication code issued by Vietnam Social Insurance.

This helps people to submit requests for administrative procedures directly online, reducing travel and waiting time when submitting documents directly at the "one-stop" department.

By specifying the maximum time for sending the Notice of Acceptance of Completion of Application Submission via electronic transaction, diversifying the methods of sending the notice of receipt, handling administrative procedures and upgrading the K-BHXH Software to the web version, it has helped businesses have more options to declare and pay social insurance, reducing the focus on declaring through the support of IVAN providers, thereby contributing to reducing network congestion during implementation, reducing waiting time for businesses and individuals.

Shorten the time to process and resolve benefits for social insurance and health insurance participants according to the provisions of law:

In recent years, Vietnam Social Security has strongly deployed information technology applications, thereby building professional software covering most of the Industry's activities.

However, by 2019, Vietnam Social Security has taken a step forward in integrating and connecting professional software to check and compare data on collection, issuance of social insurance books and health insurance cards with software for reviewing and paying social insurance benefits, thereby shortening the time limit for resolving social insurance benefits for employees.

At the same time, promoting payments through employees' personal accounts has contributed to reducing the time of businesses and employees when businesses receive and directly pay social insurance benefits for sickness, maternity, work-related accidents, and occupational diseases for employees.

Directly disseminating and consulting on social insurance and health insurance policies for small traders in markets in the city: Photo courtesy of Phan Lien

From December 9, 2019, any individual who requests to reissue a health insurance card without changing information only needs an electronic device (computer, phone) with an Internet connection, access the addresshttps://www.dichvucong.gov.vnIt is possible to request a re-issue of a health insurance card (due to damage or loss) through the National Public Service Portal.

Nghe An Provincial Social Insurance organizes a mobile propaganda parade on social insurance and health insurance policies. Photo: Thanh Chung

In the coming time, Vietnam Social Security will continue to reform administrative procedures, integrate public services under its authority at levels 3 and 4 on the National Public Service Portal according to the roadmap to create the most favorable conditions, aiming at the satisfaction of people and businesses with the services of the social security sector./.