Health insurance in Lao Cai: Increasing coverage rate, taking care of health in mountainous areas

Lao Cai is making efforts to increase the rate of health insurance participation, helping people in mountainous areas, especially poor households and ethnic minorities, feel secure in receiving medical examination and treatment.

Among the localities, Lao Cai is one of the provinces showing outstanding efforts in health insurance coverage.

In recent times, the locality has synchronously implemented many policies on health and social security to improve the quality of health care, improve living standards and promote sustainable poverty reduction, especially in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas.

People come to register for medical examination and treatment at Tran Yen Regional Medical Center, Lao Cai province.

According to data published by the Lao Cai Provincial Electronic Information Portal on November 15, 2025, by the end of October 2025, the entire Lao Cai province had 1,475,810 people participating in health insurance, reaching 93.42% of the plan assigned by the Vietnam Social Security, corresponding to a coverage rate of 88.21% of the population.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of participants decreased by 57,418 people, partly reflecting the impact of administrative unit adjustments and changes in the target groups supported by the State budget.

However, with a proactive spirit, Lao Cai Provincial Social Insurance is implementing many drastic solutions to restore growth momentum and aim for the goal of 96.5% of the population having health insurance cards by 2025.

In October, Lao Cai Provincial Social Insurance advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Official Dispatch 3386/UBND-VX on ensuring health insurance benefits for students and people; at the same time, signed a coordination regulation with the Department of Health and is building a similar regulation with the Department of Education and Training, the Provincial Police to improve the effectiveness of management, propaganda and implementation of social security policies.

For example, in the former Bao Thang district, which was in charge of propagating 4 communes including Bao Thang, Gia Phu, Tang Loong and Xuan Quang, the work of mobilizing people to participate in health insurance is recording positive signals. By the end of October, the whole district had 114,149 participants, an increase of 7,924 people compared to the same period, reaching 94% of the assigned plan.

The development of health insurance in Lao Cai is shifting from the goal of expanding coverage to improving quality and sustainability. The Provincial Party Committee has identified this as an important political task, linked to the goal of human development and ensuring long-term social security.

The Provincial Party Standing Committee has issued a Plan to implement Directive 52-CT/TW dated September 26, 2025 of the Secretariat on strengthening health insurance work in the new situation; at the same time, integrating health insurance targets into the socio-economic development program for the 2026 - 2030 period, aiming to cover all people with health insurance by 2030.

The Provincial People's Committee also issued many documents requesting localities to accelerate the development of health insurance participants, especially in communes with low rates such as Hop Thanh, Khanh Yen, Vo Lao, Coc San, Duong Quy, Thuong Bang La, Ban Lau, Muong Bo...

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Source: https://baolaocai.vn/bao-hiem-y-te-o-lao-cai-nang-ty-le-bao-phu-cham-lo-suc-khoe-vung-cao-post887597.html