Handling Delayed Payment of Social and Health Insurance to Achieve Dual Goals

General Director of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen The Manh chaired a working session with social security agencies of eight provinces and cities in the Central Coast and Central Highlands on the premium collection and policyholder development of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance, collection of overdue insurance fees and management of medical cost of the insured patients.

VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh chaired a working session with social security agencies of eight provinces and cities in the Central Coast and Central Highlands. Photo credit: VSS

The working session was attended by leaders of VSS agencies, managements, and representatives of professional agencies from eight provinces and cities: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Gia Lai.

Reporting to the VSS General Director, leaders of social security agencies from eight provinces and cities in the Central Coast and the Central Highlands said that they are finding it difficult to develop policyholders of compulsory social insurance, voluntary social insurance and household health insurance. Provincial and municipal social security agencies are gathering speed to complete their targets set for 2023.

Furthermore, the use rate of health insurance for medical examination and treatment in most provinces is already high level relative to given cost estimates. Some have nearly used up and run out of the budget in 2023, such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Gia Lai.

Leaders of eight local social security agencies also analyzed causes and proposed specific solutions to complete their assigned targets and tasks.

Accordingly, regarding health insurance and social insurance, localities will urgently review the groups of supported actors according to Decree 75/ND-CP of the Government, send the list of supported actors and advise their respective Provincial People's Committee to deliver support to each district; advise and mobilize local resources to further assist disadvantaged groups to access insurance; and review tax data. Local social security agencies proposed solutions on collection and development of social insurance and health insurance policyholders.

After listening to the reports by local social security agencies, VSS General Director Manh proposed that provinces and cities need to complete the target of developing health insurance policyholders because health insurance is very practical for people to escape sustained poverty. Therefore, if people are not insured, the social security industry is at fault.

Concluding the meeting, he assessed that eight localities account for a large proportion of the sector’s overall targets. Therefore, local social insurance agencies need to promote local strengths and overcome difficulties caused by objective factors to achieve the overall goals of the sector.

“Local social security agencies and leaders of VSS units reached agreement and integrated reports to the VSS leadership to immediately remove difficulties,” he requested.

Just more than one month to go to the end of 2023, VSS General Director Manh required local social security agencies to closely follow directions of authorities at all levels and the VSS to complete their tasks; quickly handle the delayed payment of social insurance and health insurance premiums to achieve the dual goal of ensuring benefits for workers and increasing social insurance and health insurance revenues; strengthen operations of the Steering Committee; intensify inspection and control with tax authorities (compulsory social insurance); figure out potential policyholders of voluntary social insurance; and promptly carry out Decree 75 in a bid to achieve social insurance and health insurance development goals.

HT (Vietnam Business Forum)