Expected to increase the support level of 50% of health insurance contributions for high school students

The Ministry of Health proposed to increase the level of health insurance support (to a minimum of 50% for high school students from grades 1 to 12). It is expected that the state budget will increase by 3,700 billion VND to increase the support level from 30% to 50%.

Ms. Vu Nu Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Health Insurance (Ministry of Health) said so at the Conference on implementing new regulations of the Law on Health Insurance and collecting opinions on the draft decree detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, organized by the Ministry of Health on March 27.

Currently, the monthly health insurance premium for students is equal to 4.5% of the basic salary (of which the state budget supports 30%, and the remaining 70% is paid by students themselves).

Thus, if the health insurance support level is increased to 50%, students only need to pay 631,800 VND per year, equivalent to nearly 53,000 VND/month.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that according to the revised Law on Health Insurance, a number of provisions taking effect from July 1 will give health insurance participants more benefits.

According to Professor Tran Van Thuan, on November 27, 2024, at the 8th Session, the 15th National Assembly passed the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance - an important milestone, demonstrating the determination to reform administration, facilitate people, reduce paperwork, promote digital transformation and improve the effectiveness of health insurance policy implementation. The Law takes effect from July 1, 2025, with a number of important provisions applicable from January 1, 2025.

Some outstanding new policies related to health insurance include amending and updating the subjects of participation; adjusting the responsibility for paying health insurance, payment methods, payment deadlines, responsibility for making a list of health insurance payments, and the validity period of the card.

Regulations on health insurance medical examination and treatment, including initial examination registration and patient transfer between health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities according to the technical expertise level of the 2023 Law on Medical Examination and Treatment. Patients can choose their initial medical examination and treatment facility as well as transfer medical examination and treatment facilities flexibly, according to professional requirements.

“In particular, the regulations on health insurance benefits when implementing the health insurance medical examination and treatment are in the direction of not distinguishing between administrative boundaries by province. Accordingly, patients are entitled to 100% of the benefits when examining and treating at the initial level nationwide, 100% of the benefits when examining and treating at the basic level nationwide, 100% of the benefits when examining and treating at any basic or specialized medical facility that before January 1, 2025 is determined to be a district level. In particular, in some cases of rare diseases, serious diseases..., patients are sent directly to specialized medical examination and treatment facilities,” said Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan.

A representative of the Vietnam Social Security said that by the end of 2024, the country will have more than 95.5 million people participating in health insurance, reaching a coverage level of 94.29% of the population. Of these, 24% of participants have support from the state budget (including students); the largest group is households (28%).

In 2024, nationwide there will be more than 183.7 million health insurance examinations and treatments, of which more than 7 million workers will go for medical examinations, with each person going for examinations nearly 3.5 times a year.

At the Conference, experts reviewed the implementation of health insurance policies in recent times, analyzed the results achieved, pointed out the limitations and shortcomings that need to be adjusted, and at the same time received comments to complete the draft Decree to be submitted to the Government for consideration and promulgation.

It is expected that the draft Decree will be submitted to the Government for approval on May 15 and take effect from July 1, 2025, replacing Decree No. 146/2018, Decree No. 75/2023 and Decree No. 02/2025 of the Government./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/du-kien-nang-muc-ho-tro-50-dong-bhyt-cho-hoc-sinh-pho-thong-post1023052.vnp