In its efforts to increase the health insurance coverage rate, the Da Nang branch of Viet Nam Social Security (VSS), in collaboration with all-level authorities and relevant agencies, has encouraged government officials and employees, along with local residents, to participate in health insurance for medical checkups and treatment.

A health professional at the Da Nang General Hospital is conducting medical check-ups for an inpatient.

Director of the Da Nang branch of VSS Dinh Van Hiep said that his agency has taken solutions in sync to increase the number of health insurance card holders in order to ensure timely grantings, guarantee users’ benefits when accessing exammination and treatment services.

“People currently pay health insurance premium at a much lower level than in many other countries but  they are able to receive most high-quality medical services. The value of health insurance benefits is much higher than the cost of health insurance premiums. This is as a crucial part of social security policies released by Viet Nam's national government.”, said Mr. Hiep.

Health Department Vice Director Truong Van Trinh said that, similar to Social Insurance, Health Insurance is a social security policy that is always highly concerned by the national government. Over recent years, Da Nang has always recorded  relatively high health insurance coverage rates, at 97% as currently.

According to Mr. Trinh, besides the aformentioned achievements, there still are some difficulties as some people do not fully understand the humanity of health insurance policies. It is its sharing nature that people of high living standards sharing hardship with the poor, young people sharing difficulties with senior citizens, healthy ones sharing misfortune with sick people. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected to everyone’s income, leading to a decrease in health insurance payments.

Mr Dinh Van Hiep said, under the guidance of the Da Nang government, the city eyes to reach the target of 97.5% in universal health insurance coverage in 2022, and climb to 99% in 2025.

With the purpose of completing the aformentioned goal, the Da Nang branch of VSS always prioritzes boosting health insurance participant numbers. In the next time, the Da Nang branch of VSS will continue to publicise the policies on Social an Health Insurances to people from all walks of life.

In May, the Da Nang branch of VSS worked with Da Nang Post to launch the ‘Month of promoting universal insurance'  programme in a bid to encourage local people to participate in voluntary social insurance and family health insurance.

The programme aimed to publicise the Party’s guidelines, the national government’s policies and laws on Social Insurance and Health Insurance. This was the opportunity for relevant agencies to attract participants, especially those who have yet to participate in voluntary Social Insurance and family Health Insurance, warning them about the risk of not having insurances. The move was expected to change people’s awareness of insurance benefits, with social welfares ensured.

As of May 31, the total number of Health Insurance participants in Da Nang was 1,059,616 people, reaching 96.56% of VSS-assigned targets with a Health Insurance coverage rate of 97.5%. There have been 837,954 Health Insurance registrators for medical treatment, of whom 729,170 were outpatients while the remaining ones were inpatients. The Health Insurance Fund has paid out over VND 864 billion for health insurance card holders with VND 208 billion for outpatients and the rest for inpatients.  

Reporting by NGUYEN QUANG – Translating by HOANG VU