Strive for 83.8% of the province's population to participate in health insurance by 2017.

(Baonghean) - In 2016, the rate of people participating in health insurance in Nghe An reached 81.48% of the province's population, completing the target assigned by the Prime Minister to the province in Decision No. 1167/QD-TTg. That result is from the participation of the entire political system of the province in implementing the health insurance policy in the area.

Implement vigorously

To achieve the targets assigned by the Prime Minister, from the beginning of the year, the Social Insurance sector advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 81 on the implementation of "Decision No. 1584/QD-TTg dated September 14, 2015 of the Prime Minister on assigning health insurance targets for the period 2015 - 2020"; Decision No. 5011 on adjusting the assignment of health insurance coverage targets for the period 2016 - 2020; issuing documents directing the implementation of the list of participating households; collecting outstanding debts and developing subjects participating in social insurance and health insurance; implementing health insurance for students; developing a system of social insurance and health insurance collection agents...

Printing health insurance cards at Do Luong District Social Insurance. Photo: Lam Tung

In addition, the Social Insurance sector has coordinated with relevant sectors to promote propaganda for parents, students, businesses and units about awareness of compliance with the Law on Health Insurance.

In particular, the provincial Social Insurance has coordinated with the Department of Health to develop and implement solutions to improve the quality of health insurance examination and treatment; directed and strengthened supervision of medical examination and treatment facilities to ensure the rights of participants when going for medical examination and treatment; advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council to support funding for purchasing health insurance cards for near-poor households in the period of 2016 - 2020.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha - Principal of Ha Huy Tap 1 Primary School (Vinh City) said: “The 2015 - 2016 school year is the first year of implementing the revised health insurance collection; in the parent meeting at the beginning of the year, we announced the details and explained clearly to parents, so we received high consensus. The insurance collection went very smoothly, reaching 100% of students participating in the insurance by December 31, 2016. In the 2016 - 2017 school year, for first grade students, we will continue to review to mobilize parents to participate in insurance for students”.

Mr. Thai Ba Linh, in Nghi Phu commune (Vinh city) said: “Although my two children are studying in primary school and are both very healthy and developing normally, while my family is not well off, I always pay health insurance for my wife, husband and children. Because I think that spending a few hundred thousand dong on health insurance is necessary so that if something happens to my children, the Health Insurance Fund will pay, and if they are fine, that small amount of money will help other families treat their children. Through paying insurance, I can also teach my children about the importance of supporting each other in life...”.

Issuing health insurance cards at Do Luong Social Insurance. Photo: Lam Tung

Strive to have 83.8% of people participate in health insurance

In fact, the current health insurance coverage rate of localities is uneven.

The group of subjects receiving state budget support for their contribution rate is still low compared to the assigned target. The group of subjects belonging to agricultural, forestry, fishery and salt-making households with an average living standard is only 49.7% compared to the total number of these subjects.

The number of students participating in health insurance in the 2016-2017 school year only reached 86.2% of the total number of students in the province (the assigned target was 95%).

The reason is that some units intentionally circumvent the law by not implementing regulations on signing labor contracts for employees or signing labor contracts but not participating in social insurance and health insurance for employees. The situation of evading and owing social insurance and health insurance payments is still quite common in some enterprises, affecting the issuance of health insurance cards.

The source of support for purchasing health insurance cards for people in near-poor households from the North Central Provinces Health Support Project ended at the end of 2015, so many people did not participate in health insurance when their family's economic conditions were still difficult, while the local budget support of 10% of the cost of buying cards in 2016 only took effect from September 1, 2016.

Although students are supported by the State with 30% and are given favorable conditions in terms of health insurance payment methods, many of them have difficult family circumstances and are unable to participate. Many parents are still not fully aware of the meaning as well as the rights and obligations when participating in health insurance.

People receive social insurance payments at the People's Committee of Xuan Lam Commune (Nam Dan). Photo: Thanh Thuy

Circular No. 02/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated March 25, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on guiding the process of determining agricultural, forestry, fishery and salt-making families with average living standards in the period 2016 - 2020 took effect late (May 10, 2016), leading to slow implementation in localities, so up to now the number of people participating in health insurance is still low.

Although family health insurance has a reduced premium, it is still a challenge for low-income people and families with many members because they have to spend a large amount of money to buy health insurance at the same time.

Information and propaganda work on health insurance policies in some localities is not regular and has not really reached every citizen.

In 2017, the Social Insurance sector strives to achieve the target of health insurance coverage rate assigned by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 5011 in 2017 for the whole province of 83.8%; of which: The group paid by employees and employers is 89%; the group paid by social insurance organizations is 100%; the group paid by the state budget is 100%; the group supported by the state budget is 91%; the group participating in health insurance by households is 35%.

To achieve the above targets, the Social Insurance sector will focus on a number of key solutions such as: Promoting propaganda and dissemination of laws on health insurance; ensuring health insurance examination and treatment rights; consolidating and developing the network of collection agents in the area; improving the capacity of the system of organizations implementing health insurance policies; enhancing the application of information technology in the field of health insurance.

Thanh Hien