Focus on removing obstacles and increasing social insurance and health insurance coverage in Nghe An province

The Provincial Party Standing Committee has just issued a Plan to review 5 years of implementing Action Program No. 88-CTr/TU, dated June 20, 2019 of the Provincial Party Executive Committee on implementing Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW, dated May 23, 2018 of the Central Party Executive Committee on reforming social insurance policies.

This is an opportunity to comprehensively and deeply evaluate the leadership, direction and implementation of Program No. 88 by Party committees, authorities, localities and units; objectively look at the results achieved, limitations and difficulties to focus on solutions to remove them, quickly and sustainably increase the coverage of social insurance and health insurance in the whole province.

In recent times, the leadership and direction of the Party Committee and the provincial government have been strengthened; effectively implementing policies and regimes on social insurance and health insurance; ensuring the completion of the targets assigned by the Central Government and the socio-economic development targets set by the province in the year, gradually realizing the goal of universal health insurance and social insurance for all workers.

The implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies has been coordinated by the entire political system, with many innovations in content, direction methods and implementation methods; timely resolving difficulties in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies in the area. All subjects participating in compulsory social insurance and voluntary social insurance tend to develop over the years. The policy of supporting funding to buy health insurance cards for subjects such as: the poor, children under 6 years old, pensioners, disabled people, social protection beneficiaries, etc. has received attention from authorities at all levels, contributing to the effective implementation of social security policies in the province. Most state-owned enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises have seriously implemented social insurance payments for employees in accordance with regulations.

By the end of December 2023, the whole province had 3,024,577 people participating in social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance (UI). Of these, 385,131 people participated in social insurance, reaching a rate of 24.9% compared to the working-age population, completing the province's 2023 target. There were 2,911,787 people participating in health insurance, an increase of 33,924 people compared to the end of 2022 (an increase of 1.18%), reaching a health insurance coverage rate of 93% compared to the population, completing the province's 2023 target; 251,742 people participated in unemployment insurance, an increase of 8,171 people compared to the end of 2022 (an increase of 3.35%), reaching a rate of 16.03% compared to the working-age population, completing the province's 2023 target. Total revenue from social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance was VND 8,873.3 billion; reaching 102.71% of the revenue plan assigned by Vietnam Social Security, an increase of VND 1,018.6 billion (up 12.97%) over the same period in 2022. The whole province settled social insurance regimes for 170.1 thousand people; paid health insurance examination and treatment costs for more than 5.6 million outpatient and inpatient health insurance examinations and treatments, an increase of 543 thousand medical examinations and treatments (equivalent to an increase of 10.66%) over the same period in 2022.

Medical examination and treatment facilities are increasing in number and improving in quality, the rights of patients with health insurance cards are increasingly guaranteed and expanded. Many high-tech services with high costs have been paid for patients with health insurance cards, contributing to ensuring the rights of the people. Administrative reform and application of information technology are promoted, the quality of service is increasingly improved.

The payment of pensions, social insurance and health insurance benefits is resolved promptly and in accordance with the regulations. The inspection and examination of compliance with the law on social insurance and health insurance is given attention; thereby contributing to preventing acts of abuse and profiteering from the social insurance fund and controlling costs in health insurance examination and treatment associated with ensuring the rights of health insurance participants...

However, the growth rate and social insurance coverage rate of Nghe An province are still not high compared to the general rate of the whole country and the target set in Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW; especially the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance who stop participating tends to increase; the number of people requesting to receive one-time social insurance benefits is large, in 2023 there were 26,668 people, an increase of 7,220 people (37.4%) compared to 2022. Currently, the number of units and the amount of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance debt is still high, affecting the rights of workers...

In 2024, sectors and localities will focus on implementing drastically, synchronously, effectively, innovatively, creatively, and synchronously the tasks and solutions according to the resolutions, directives, and action programs of the Central Government, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Resolution of the Provincial People's Council on social insurance and health insurance policies and laws. In July 2024, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee will listen to and give opinions on the 5-year review of the implementation of Action Program No. 88-CTr/TU, and at the same time issue a Directive on "Strengthening leadership and direction in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies in Nghe An province", thereby studying mechanisms and policies on supporting contribution levels for voluntary social insurance participants to increase coverage.

Promote the dissemination of laws on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance, focusing on clarifying the role and significance of social insurance and health insurance in the social security system. In the dissemination, it is necessary to have the synchronous coordination of the entire political system, promoting the role of the grassroots level, especially the commune and ward levels in mobilizing people to participate in voluntary social insurance and family health insurance. Strengthen the dissemination to raise awareness of workers about the Law on Social Insurance and Health Insurance to help workers understand the policies of the Party and State to protect their legitimate interests.

Implement solutions to manage and use health insurance examination and treatment costs effectively, economically, reasonably, and in accordance with regulations. Improve the quality of health insurance appraisal work; focus on warning and controlling health insurance examination and treatment costs; ensure timely and full benefits for participants in conjunction with the roadmap for universal health insurance.

Focus on inspecting, supervising and urging units during the implementation process; strengthen inter-sectoral inspections and surprise specialized inspections at units showing signs of arrears and abuse of social insurance and health insurance funds; promptly handle and recommend handling of violations of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance laws, contributing to minimizing social insurance and health insurance debt in the area to ensure the rights and legitimate interests of employees. Strengthen discipline, administrative discipline and public ethics; build a team of cadres with qualities, capacity, prestige, and equal to the task; ensure the best implementation of regimes and policies for units, businesses and people...

In 2024, Nghe An province will continue to strive to ensure the completion of targets on the development of social insurance participants; social insurance and health insurance coverage rates. Accordingly, by the end of 2024, the rate of local people participating in health insurance will reach 94%; the rate of local labor force participating in social insurance will reach 25.7%. With appropriate approaches and steps, this will be an important premise to shorten the gap with the general social insurance coverage rate of the whole country (37.2%), ensuring social security for people in the province.