Why can't students buy family health insurance?

Many people wonder if their families have many members, if students buy health insurance (HI) as a household, it will be much more beneficial. However, according to the current regulations of the Health Insurance Law, students cannot buy health insurance as a household.

Regarding this issue, Article 12 of the Law on Health Insurance stipulates 5 groups participating in health insurance.

The first group is paid by employees and employers, including: employees working under labor contracts; employees who are business managers receiving salaries; cadres, civil servants, and public employees; part-time workers in communes, wards, and towns.

The second group is paid by the social insurance organization, including: People receiving monthly pensions and allowances for loss of working capacity; people receiving monthly social insurance benefits; people aged 80 and over receiving monthly death benefits; retired commune, ward and town officials receiving monthly social insurance benefits; people receiving unemployment benefits.

The third group is funded by the state budget, including: soldiers, people working in secretarial work, secretarial students at military and police schools; commune, ward and town officials who have retired and are receiving monthly allowances from the state budget; people who have stopped receiving allowances for loss of working capacity and are receiving monthly allowances from the state budget; people with meritorious services to the revolution, veterans; children under 6 years old, etc.

The fourth group is supported by the state budget for the payment level, including: People from near-poor households; students.

The fifth group is the group participating in family health insurance, including people in the household, except for those who are already in the above 4 groups.

In addition, according to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 13, the Law on Health Insurance stipulates:

“In case a person simultaneously belongs to many different health insurance participants as prescribed in Article 12 of this Law, he/she shall pay health insurance according to the first subject that he/she is determined in the order of subjects prescribed in Article 12 of the Law on Health Insurance”.

According to this regulation, students who are eligible to participate in health insurance are ranked in group 4, and those who participate in health insurance through their households are ranked in group 5 from top to bottom. Therefore, students studying at educational institutions (except those who have participated in health insurance through other groups with groups 1, 2, 3) will participate in health insurance at school and will not be eligible to participate in health insurance through their households.

Family health insurance premium

The health insurance premium for households is stipulated in Decree 146/2018/ND-CP, as follows:

First person: 4.5% of basic salary;

Second person: 70% of the first person's contribution (3.15% of basic salary).

Third person: 60% of the first person's contribution (2.7% of basic salary).

Fourth person: 50% of the first person's contribution (2.25% of basic salary).

Fifth person onwards: 40% of the first person's contribution (1.8% of basic salary).

From July 1, 2023, when the basic salary increases to 1.8 million VND/month, the family health insurance contribution level is as follows:

First person: 81,000 VND/month; 972,000 VND/year (before July 1: 67,050 VND/month; 804,600 VND/year).

Second person: 56,700 VND/month; 680,400 VND/year (before July 1: 46,935 VND/month; 563,220 VND/year).

Third person: 48,600 VND/month; 583,200 VND/year (before July 1: 40,230 VND/month; 482,760 VND/year).

Fourth person: 40,500 VND/month; 486,000 VND/year (before July 1: 33,525 VND/month; 402,300 VND/year).