Implementing social insurance and health insurance policies well contributes to ensuring social security.

(Baonghean) - Nghe An Newspaper interviewed Mr. Le Truong Giang - Director of Social Insurance of Nghe An province

PV:Could you please tell us the highlights of the performance of the provincial Social Insurance sector in 2016?

Mr. Le Truong Giang:In 2016, the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in the province achieved comprehensive results: Basically completing the assigned targets and tasks; rapidly increasing the coverage of social insurance and health insurance; the rate of social insurance arrears decreased compared to 2015. Timely resolving the regime for subjects in accordance with regulations; developing and synchronously implementing many solutions to inspect and control health insurance medical examination and treatment costs to prevent the situation of profiteering from social insurance and health insurance funds; overcoming and minimizing the situation of health insurance fund deficit when new regulations on medical examination and treatment lines and increasing technical service prices according to Circular 37 come into effect.

One-stop transaction at Do Luong District Social Insurance. Photo: Lam Tung

In 2016, the Provincial Social Insurance Department simultaneously implemented many major tasks such as: Implementing many new policies according to the provisions of the Law on Amendments and Supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, the most important of which is the policy of connecting health insurance medical examination and treatment from January 1, 2016; synchronously implementing solutions to bring the 2014 amended Law on Social Insurance into life; continuing to apply new software in professional activities (3S software, Electronic File Transaction software); operating the Health Insurance Appraisal Information System to connect and exchange information between health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities and social insurance agencies.

As of December 2016, the provincial Social Insurance has installed electronic transaction software for 6,918/7,945 labor-using units; of which 5,230 units have registered for transactions.

During the year, the provincial Social Insurance proactively conducted a review to ensure timely settlement of the regime for 225/239 cadres according to Decree No. 26/2015/ND-CP dated March 9, 2015 of the Government stipulating the regime and policies for cadres who do not meet the age requirements for re-election or re-appointment to hold positions and titles according to their terms in agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State, and socio-political organizations; completed the printing and issuance of health insurance cards in 2016 for poor households and near-poor households supported by the State budget at 100% of the contribution level; promptly printed and issued health insurance cards for 392,749 ethnic minority people living in difficult socio-economic areas and people living in particularly difficult socio-economic areas; people living in extremely disadvantaged communes in coastal areas from September 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Synchronize data, issue health insurance cards according to new models and have two-dimensional barcodes to improve efficiency in medical examination and treatment according to standards, create convenience for parties in health insurance examination and treatment, meet the management requirements of the industry and be consistent with the strategy of developing universal health insurance.

Employees complete procedures for social insurance book issuance at Nghe An Social Insurance.

Payment work continues to receive attention and is well organized. The provincial Social Insurance has focused on implementing specific measures in organizing the management of beneficiaries and payment through the post office; organizing surprise inspections of pension and social insurance allowance payment at some payment points in the area to promptly correct shortcomings and create maximum favorable conditions for beneficiaries.

In particular, from the analysis of subjective and objective causes leading to the deficit of the health insurance fund in the first 6 months of the year; implementing the direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and the close and effective coordination of departments, branches, districts, cities and towns; the Provincial Social Insurance has implemented many solutions, especially strengthening the management, inspection and review of the proposed payment costs of medical examination and treatment facilities. Therefore, from September 2016 to present, the situation of using the health insurance fund has had positive changes.

According to the data, the health care facilities in the whole province requested the Social Insurance agency to pay for all 3 criteria: total cost requested for payment, average cost for one health care visit covered by health insurance, prescription of medical services (especially high-tech ones), and drugs that are not really necessary, especially in non-public health facilities. Although in the first 6 months of 2016, Nghe An had a deficit in the health care fund covered by health insurance, the total estimated health care cost for the whole year of 2016 is still within the assigned budget and within the ability to regulate and balance the health insurance fund of the Vietnam Social Insurance.

Provincial Social Insurance officers talk with workers about social insurance and health insurance policies at BSE Electronics Company. Photo: PV

PV:To achieve the above results, what solutions has the provincial Social Insurance sector focused on, sir?

Mr. Le Truong Giang:The provincial Social Insurance has focused on 3 main groups of solutions, which are:

1. Seek direction from local authorities at all levels; coordination from relevant departments and branches in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies.

The provincial Social Insurance has proactively advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue plans and documents to deploy and urge the implementation of policies and laws on social insurance and health insurance; Coordinated with relevant departments and branches to issue documents; Supplemented funds to purchase health insurance cards in 2015 and 2016; Rectified medical examination and treatment facilities in implementing health insurance; Strengthened coordination of solutions to prevent and combat violations in the management of health insurance funds according to the provisions of law; Coordinated with relevant departments and branches to inspect the implementation of regulations on social insurance and health insurance at enterprises and health insurance examination and treatment facilities.

2. Focus on administrative reform and application of information technology in public service performance.

During the year, the provincial Social Insurance regularly reviewed and recommended competent authorities to amend and eliminate administrative procedures (AP) in the field of social insurance and health insurance that are no longer appropriate, ensuring that APs are simple, easy to understand, easy to implement, saving time and costs, creating favorable conditions for participants and beneficiaries of social insurance and health insurance policies in the area and suitable to local practical conditions; proactively coordinating with departments and branches to build a mechanism to connect information about enterprises, creating favorable conditions for enterprises to register for labor and social insurance according to the provisions of law; implementing the use of unique enterprise codes, using digital signatures of enterprises in all relations between enterprises and state management agencies and in enterprise activities.

From July 1, 2016, the provincial Social Insurance has deployed the health insurance appraisal information system. Health insurance treatment costs at health insurance treatment facilities across the province are transferred and received via the data receiving portal of the centralized health insurance appraisal information system of the provincial Social Insurance.

In particular, since October 2016, the "One-stop" department of the Provincial Social Insurance Office and the Social Insurance of the districts has reissued blurred, torn or lost health insurance cards (reissued without changing information) to the subjects.

3. Focus on propaganda work.

Along with other professional activities, in 2016, propaganda work in many forms was strengthened by the industry and was identified as one of the key tasks. The industry proactively developed and signed a program to coordinate propaganda of social insurance and health insurance policies.

Enterprises carry out social insurance procedures at Nghi Loc district social insurance.

PV:In 2017, what tasks will the provincial Social Insurance focus on, sir?

Mr. Le Truong Giang:In 2017, the industry continued to effectively implement Resolution 21/NQ-TW of the Politburo and the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Party, Resolution of the 18th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress, Resolution of the 19th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress. Well implemented the Law on Social Insurance, Law on Health Insurance...

Proactively advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on solutions to organize the implementation of tasks related to the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in the province; Develop and sign coordination programs with relevant departments, branches and sectors; Focus on implementing solutions to promote the development of subjects; strive to complete the targets according to Decision 1167/QD-TTg dated June 28, 2016 of the Prime Minister on assigning health insurance implementation targets for the period 2016 - 2020 and the budget assigned by Vietnam Social Security; strive to complete 100% of the revenue estimate, reduce the rate of social insurance arrears to the lowest level.

Continue to promote administrative reform, focusing on reforming administrative procedures; effectively apply software in management and solving professional tasks of the industry. Focus on ensuring correct, sufficient and timely implementation of policies for employees and subjects according to assigned functions and tasks. Promote solutions to effectively control health insurance costs, ensuring the safety of health insurance funds. Effectively implement the handover of social insurance books to employees for management according to the provisions of the Law on Social Insurance, ensuring quality and progress.

Effectively implement financial management regulations on social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance and management costs of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance. Develop appropriate solutions and forms of propaganda for each target group.

Continue to seriously implement the content of "Promoting studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle".

PV:Thank you for the interview!

Thanh Thuy

(Perform)