Widely disseminate information about health insurance policy

Over the past 15 years, propaganda work has created a strong change in the leadership and direction of the implementation of health insurance policies by Party committees and authorities at all levels in the province. Many Party committees and authorities at all levels have been aware of their responsibilities in leading, directing and mobilizing people to participate in health insurance; proactively developing work programs, targets and plans to direct the implementation of health insurance policies and laws in the management area. Therefore, people's awareness of the role and significance of participating in health insurance for socio-political development and stability; and of the rights, obligations and responsibilities of participating in health insurance is increasingly complete. The need to learn about knowledge and information about health insurance among workers and people is increasing.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Chieu, Principal of Nho Quan Town Secondary School, said: Nho Quan Town Secondary School has 459 students, the rate of students participating in health insurance in the past school years has reached 100%. To achieve the above results, the school's Board of Directors has identified propaganda work as the key step for teachers and parents to see the responsibilities and benefits of participating in health insurance for students. The school has promoted propaganda activities on health insurance policies and laws and the role and significance of health insurance in caring for and protecting students' health.

At the same time, the school also pays attention to doing a good job of school health care, paying attention to primary health care and physical education activities for students. Thereby creating peace of mind for parents when deciding to let their children participate in health insurance.

Along with promoting the propaganda and dissemination of laws, policies and health insurance regimes, the work of mobilizing people to participate in health insurance has also been strengthened and organized in a network at all levels through the direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels to units and socio-political organizations to form a collection agent system to promptly mobilize people to participate in health insurance.

Currently, the Steering Committee for the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies has been established from the provincial to the communal level. In the province, there are 660 social insurance and health insurance collection staff, 330 collection points belonging to 6 collection service organizations as an extended arm to propagate and mobilize people to participate in social insurance and health insurance.

Mr. Doan Duc Huy, Director of Nho Quan District Post Office, said: As one of 6 collection service organizations, at 24 cultural post offices of communes and 4 post offices of Nho Quan District Post Office, the collection of social insurance and health insurance premiums is actively and effectively implemented. Every month, the District Post Office organizes propaganda campaigns in villages, hamlets, and streets, coordinates with the District Social Insurance to promote propaganda about health insurance policies, and takes advantage of social networking platforms for information and propaganda.

Therefore, the number of people participating in health insurance through the District Post Office is currently more than 7,200 people. The collection and payment of insurance premiums is applied through IT software, so it is convenient for people not to submit paper documents, to use many channels to pay fees, ensuring safety and accuracy.

Thanks to good propaganda and mobilization work, the number of people participating in family health insurance in the province has made a breakthrough. By the end of 2023, the whole province had 276,696 participants, of which 193,356 participants were from households working in agriculture, forestry, and fishery with average living standards supported by the State budget and 83,340 participants were from other households.

Ensuring benefits for health insurance participants

At the Department of Hemodialysis - Artificial Kidney (Provincial General Hospital), the number of kidney failure patients requiring artificial kidney dialysis is quite large, so the Department has to divide into 3 shifts/day.

Mr. Vu Van Dieu (Gia Tan commune, Gia Vien district) has been a kidney failure patient for 15 years. He shared: With my illness, I have to undergo dialysis 3 times a week. My family is a farmer so it is very difficult. If we calculate the average cost of dialysis each month, it will cost from 9-10 million, not including transportation, food, and someone to take care of me. Thanks to the health insurance card, I have been able to receive treatment until today...

As for Mr. Pham Van Doan (Yen Thinh commune, Yen Mo district), who is currently being treated at the Oncology Center (Provincial General Hospital), nasopharyngeal cancer makes the treatment process long, causing many difficulties for the patient and his family in terms of money, energy, and time.

Mr. Doan said: The health insurance card has helped me and my family a lot in paying for medical examination and treatment costs. When participating in health insurance, no one wants to get sick, but only wants to participate to share and spread the humane meaning of the Party and State's policies. But when I got sick, I realized the meaning and necessity of the health insurance card.

In order to ensure the rights of health insurance cardholders, the provincial Social Insurance has coordinated with the Health Department to advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct the implementation of good medical examination and treatment for health insurance cardholders in the area. Many solutions have been implemented such as investing in facilities, equipment, training human resources, actively participating in projects and programs to improve professional capacity, and promoting the application of information technology in health insurance activities. Therefore, the number of health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities has increased gradually over the years: In 2009, the whole province had 129 health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities; by 2023, there were 190 health insurance medical examination and treatment facilities.

Of which, the number of health insurance examination and treatment facilities at the commune and district levels in 2009 was 100 and 22 respectively, and by 2023, the numbers were 135 and 45 respectively. This increase combined with the "open-line" policy for health insurance examination and treatment facilities has created favorable conditions for patients in choosing a medical examination and treatment facility.

At the same time, it contributes to creating competition between medical examination and treatment facilities, requiring development in professional quality as well as innovation in service style to meet the needs and interests of patients.

People in the province increasingly trust the health insurance policy, the number of patients using health insurance cards to visit medical examination and treatment facilities is increasing: In 2009, there were 1,147,371 health insurance examinations and treatments, by 2023 the whole province had 1,748,006 health insurance examinations and treatments, an increase of 65.54% compared to 2009.

Towards universal health insurance

Over the past 15 years, the provincial Social Insurance has done a good job of advising local Party committees and authorities in developing health insurance through the issued policies: Resolution No. 31/2015/NQ-HDND dated December 10, 2015 stipulating that the provincial budget supports an additional 25% and the district budget 5% of the health insurance premium for near-poor households, equal to 100% of the premium; supports an additional 20% of the premium for households working in agriculture, forestry, and salt production with an average living standard; Resolution No. 26/2017/NQ-HDND dated July 6, 2017 continues to support funding from 10% to 20% of the health insurance premium for students; Resolution No. 61/2022/NQ-HDND on regulations on supporting health insurance premiums for a number of groups of people with permanent residence registration in Ninh Binh province, accordingly, 100% support for health insurance premiums for the elderly from 70 years old to under 75 years old; non-professional workers in villages and residential groups; people from Central Safe Zone communes during the resistance war against France and the US...

The issuance of these policies has demonstrated the province's concern for the people, aiming to strengthen the protection and care of people's health, increase the rate of people participating in health insurance, create momentum to complete the roadmap for universal health insurance, contribute to the implementation of social security policies, and ensure social progress and equity.

Every year, the provincial Social Insurance has coordinated with the Department of Planning and Investment to include the target on health insurance coverage rate in each district and city into the socio-economic development target for the district, city and the whole province. Thereby, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of districts and cities grasp the targets assigned to their units, proactively directing the implementation of solutions to complete the assigned targets.

The provincial Social Insurance has signed a coordination regulation with 11 provincial departments, branches, sectors and organizations. The district and city Social Insurance has signed a coordination regulation with 15 district-level associations and organizations. The provincial and district Social Insurance has signed a coordination regulation with 143 commune, ward and town People's Committees.

Thereby, receiving the participation of the entire political system in the work of developing social insurance and health insurance participants in the province. At the same time, launching emulation movements on developing social insurance and health insurance participants to encourage and motivate officials in the industry to have many solutions in the work of developing health insurance participants, contributing to the roadmap towards universal health insurance.

In order to encourage and motivate people to participate in health insurance and at the same time implement the goal of universal health insurance, along with advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue documents stipulating the level of financial support from the State budget to pay for health insurance, the Provincial Social Insurance has advised the Provincial People's Committee to implement the program "Giving social insurance books and health insurance cards to people in difficult circumstances in the province". In 2022, the program presented 1,215 health insurance cards with a total support fund for purchasing health insurance cards of over 690 million VND. In 2023, the program presented 575 health insurance cards with a total support fund for purchasing health insurance cards of over 278 million VND.

Through the program, we have mobilized the active participation and support of agencies, businesses, and units, contributing to providing medical care to people in difficult circumstances with meaningful health insurance cards.

Ms. Bui Thi Lan Huong, Director of the Provincial Social Insurance, said: To increase the number of people participating in health insurance in the coming time, closely following the guiding viewpoint and spirit of Directive No. 38-CT/TW, dated September 7, 2009 of the Secretariat, the provincial Social Insurance sector continues to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam Social Insurance in organizing the implementation of health insurance policies; coordinate with departments, branches, sectors and organizations to effectively implement Directive No. 38-CT/TW of the Secretariat, resolutions and directives of the Central Government on the implementation of health insurance policies to develop health insurance participants in the province in a stable and sustainable manner. The Social Insurance sector focuses on innovating its methods of operation, improving the quality of services and the implementation of health insurance regimes and policies.

Strengthening the propaganda and dissemination of laws, policies and health insurance regimes, diversifying the forms of propaganda. Promoting the development and expansion of health insurance participants, implementing correct and full collection, overcoming health insurance arrears. Strengthening the inspection and examination of the implementation of the Party and State's policies and laws on social insurance and health insurance.

Bui Dieu