Can I participate in voluntary health insurance when my company owes social insurance?

Question:

The company I work for owes social insurance (SI) and health insurance (HI) for about a year now, so the HI card cannot be used. So, if I want to participate in voluntary HI, is that possible? – Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (Cau Giay, Hanoi)

Hanoi Social Insurance replied:

Pursuant to Clause 9, Article 13 of Decree No. 146/2018/ND-CP dated October 17, 2018 of the Government detailing and guiding measures to implement a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, it is stipulated that: "The value of the health insurance card corresponds to the amount of health insurance premium paid as prescribed".

Pursuant to Clause 3, Article 49 of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance No. 46/2014/QH13, which stipulates handling of violations by agencies, organizations, and employers responsible for paying health insurance but failing to pay or not paying fully as prescribed:

Hanoi launched propaganda, mobilization, and development of voluntary social insurance and family health insurance participants.

a) Must pay the full unpaid amount and pay interest equal to twice the interbank interest rate calculated on the amount and time of late payment; if not, upon request of the competent authority, the bank, other credit institutions, the State Treasury shall be responsible for deducting money from the deposit accounts of the agencies, organizations, and employers responsible for paying health insurance to pay the unpaid or late amount and interest on this amount into the health insurance fund account;

b) Must reimburse all costs to employees within the scope of benefits and health insurance benefits that the employee has paid during the time he/she does not have a health insurance card.

Therefore, the company has not paid the health insurance card, so the validity of the health insurance card has not been extended. At the same time, you cannot participate in health insurance as a household because you are participating in health insurance as a group of employees and employers pay according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 1 of Decree No. 146/2018/ND-CP dated October 17, 2018 of the Government.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/tham-gia-bhyt-tu-nguyen-khi-dn-no-bhxh-co-duoc-khong.html