For over three years, Mr. Hoang Van Sam, from Thuan Chau commune, has suffered from kidney failure, anemia, and hypertension. Every month, he has to go to the Provincial General Hospital for blood transfusions and hemodialysis. Each treatment session costs nearly 10 million VND. Mr. Sam shared: "As a household with difficult circumstances, my main source of income is agricultural production. If I didn't have health insurance, I probably wouldn't be able to continue treatment like this today. Thanks to health insurance covering 100% of the costs, I've been able to reduce a lot of financial burden and have more confidence to continue treatment."
At the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department of the Provincial General Hospital, most patients suffer from severe illnesses requiring long treatment periods and the use of many modern techniques. Dr. Me Thi Xuan, Head of the Department, stated: "The cost of an intensive care unit bed alone is over 1.8 million VND per day; if hemodialysis is required, the treatment cost can range from 17 to 30 million VND. For many families, this is a very large expense. Health insurance has significantly reduced the financial burden for patients, especially those with severe illnesses requiring prolonged treatment."
In the first five months of 2026, the province recorded over 493,470 health insurance-covered medical examinations and treatments, with a total cost exceeding 548 billion VND. To ensure the rights of health insurance participants, the Social Insurance sector, in coordination with the Health sector, continues to improve the quality of medical examinations and treatments, promote digital transformation, and apply information technology in health insurance management and auditing. Two new health insurance-covered medical examination and treatment facilities have been put into operation, improving access to healthcare services for the people. The supply of medicines and medical supplies is more adequately ensured through centralized bidding, contributing to improved treatment quality. In addition, the provincial Social Insurance agency strengthens the auditing and control of health insurance-covered medical examination and treatment costs; promptly detecting and rejecting payments for expenses that do not comply with regulations, contributing to the safe and effective use of the health insurance fund.
Ms. Dinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Social Insurance Agency, said: The agency has promoted the application of information technology throughout its operational processes and collaborated with the health sector to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment. Currently, many high-tech and high-cost services are covered by the health insurance fund, contributing to ensuring the rights of participants.
Along with improving the quality of medical examination and treatment, the work of promoting and encouraging people to participate in health insurance continues to be strengthened. From the beginning of the year until now, the Provincial Social Insurance Agency has coordinated and organized 37 direct propaganda conferences with more than 1,500 participants; during the Month of promoting and implementing universal health insurance, 82 people were encouraged to participate in self-paid health insurance. Notably, at the end of January 2026, the Provincial People's Committee issued decisions approving the list of villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, especially difficult villages; communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, communes in areas I, II, and III, for the period 2026-2030 in Son La province. For the 66 communes in area III (especially difficult communes), all residents (including permanent and temporary residents) will have their health insurance purchased by the State budget. For the 6 communes and wards in Area II (disadvantaged communes), the support policy focuses on ethnic minorities residing in the locality, contributing to improving people's access to healthcare services in disadvantaged areas. Currently, the entire province has over 1.3 million people participating in health insurance, with a coverage rate of 98.9% of the population, reaching 98% of the target set by Vietnam Social Security and 100% of the target set by the Provincial People's Committee for 2026.
Continuing to promote the implementation of health insurance policies and ensure the rights of participants, the provincial Social Insurance agency focuses on coordinating with relevant sectors and localities to effectively implement the Law amending and supplementing some articles of the Health Insurance Law in 2024; reviewing legal documents related to the Health Insurance Law, and proposing to competent authorities timely amendments, supplements, replacements, repeals, or the issuance of legal documents to ensure compliance with regulations. It also strengthens propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage people to participate in health insurance; mobilizes social resources to support disadvantaged people in purchasing health insurance cards. At the same time, it strengthens the inspection and control of medical examination and treatment costs; provides early warning of unusual cost increases; and ensures the proper, effective, and sustainable use of the health insurance fund.
It can be affirmed that health insurance is a deeply humane social security policy and a solid support for millions of people when they unfortunately fall ill. The increasing benefits for health insurance participants and the improvement in the quality of medical examination and treatment have contributed to better healthcare for the people, ensuring social security and bringing peace and happiness to every family.
Source: https://baosonla.vn/bao-hiem-xa-hoi-tinh-son-la/bhyt-cho-dua-vung-chac-cua-nguoi-dan-OUuqK0BDg.html
![[Image] National conference summarizing one year of operation of the overall organizational model of the political system, the three-tiered government model.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/07/01/1782882811691_ndo_br_1-jpg.webp)
