Expanding Health Insurance Coverage for Students

The student population in Vietnam accounts for over 20% of the country’s total population and is considered the future of the nation. Increasing health insurance coverage for students is crucial not only to achieve the goal of universal health insurance, but also to actively support innovation and national development. In recent years, the health insurance policy has been effectively implemented to ensure that students receive health insurance benefits.

Health insurance is a significant policy of the Party and State of Vietnam and is one of the main pillars of the social security system. The implementation of health insurance policies in general, and student health insurance in particular, plays an important role in social security. It aims to protect and enhance healthcare and comprehensively develop the people, especially the young generations of the nation. In recent years, our Party and State have paid great attention to building and improving health insurance policies as well as directing and implementing student health insurance policies.

On November 14, 2008, during the 4th Session of the 12th National Assembly, the Health Insurance Law was passed (effective from July 1, 2009). According to this law, starting from January 1, 2010, students were allowed to switch from voluntary insurance to responsible insurance. When the Health Insurance Law was amended and supplemented in 2014 (effective from January 1, 2015), it stipulated that students are subject to compulsory health insurance. They are supported by the State budget with State-subsidized premiums ranging from 30% to 100%, depending on priority groups. In the roadmap towards universal health insurance, students continue to be selected as a group that needs to be covered by health insurance soon.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision 1167/QD-TTg on June 28, 2016, to change health insurance implementation tasks. The decision was based on Resolution 21-NQ/TW dated November 22, 2012 of the Politburo, Resolution 68/2013/QH13 dated November 29, 2013 of the National Assembly, and Directive 05/CT-TTg dated April 2, 2015 on strengthening the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies and laws. The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to direct the development of an action plan for the implementation of student health insurance to ensure that all students have health insurance.

In addition to supporting 30% of health insurance premiums for students using the central State budget, many provinces and cities have used their own local budget plus social resources to provide additional support for student health insurance premiums. In 2022, as many as 27 localities provided additional support for student health insurance premiums. Among them, Ha Giang was the biggest supporter with up to 70% of premiums covered. Hung Yen and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provided support of 30%, while Quang Ngai provided support of 20-30%. Bac Kan, Ca Mau, Hau Giang, Ninh Binh, Son La and Vinh Phuc provided support of 20%.

Moreover, some provinces and cities have separately supported student health insurance premiums for special cases. For example, Ho Chi Minh City has subsidized 100% of premiums; Dong Nai has supported 70% of health insurance premiums for students with disabilities; An Giang and Lam Dong granted 70% of premiums for students from ethnic minorities; while Binh Phuoc has funded 70% for poor students.

In recent years, to concretize the Party’s guidelines and laws on health insurance, the entire political system has taken action, especially the active and close coordination of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the education-training sector in effective communication on student health insurance. As a result, the share of health-insured students has gradually increased year after year, to roughly 100% at present. The share rose from 80% of total students in the 2012-2013 school year to over 97% in the 2022-2023 school year, or about 18.8 million health-insured students, a 17% increase after 10 years. Notably, last school year, many localities reported having 100% of students insured, including Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Hung Yen and Ninh Binh.

Determined to have all students insured and assist with universal health insurance, providing health insurance for all students is an important task that gives a stepping stone for Vietnam to achieve the goal of universal health insurance.

By Huong Thom, Vietnam Business Forum