Spreading social welfare policies from the grassroots level.

Mobile counseling sessions in residential areas, lodging houses, and traditional markets in various localities help workers better understand social insurance and health insurance policies and encourage voluntary participation, contributing to bringing social security policies closer to their lives.

Going directly to the workers' and freelance laborers' lodgings.

On a weekend morning, the mobile consultation point on social insurance and health insurance policies in the residential area on Le Thi Rieng Street, Thoi An Ward (Ho Chi Minh City) was bustling with many self-employed workers coming to learn about voluntary social insurance and family health insurance policies. This is one of the activities to spread awareness of social insurance and health insurance policies in residential areas, in response to the Month of Campaigning and Implementing Universal Social Insurance.

Social insurance officers at the Dĩ An branch disseminate information about social insurance and health insurance policies to the people.

After attentively listening to the social insurance specialist's advice, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang (50 years old, residing in Ward 27, Thoi An commune, working as a motorbike taxi driver) said that he used to be very vague about social insurance. Due to his unstable income, Mr. Hoang always prioritized immediate expenses and didn't think much about long-term matters like pensions and medical expenses.

After being advised on contribution levels, the benefits of voluntary social insurance and family health insurance, especially the right to medical care and pension benefits, Mr. Hoang believes that social insurance and health insurance policies are becoming increasingly relevant and practical to life.

Along with centralized consultation points, many local social insurance propaganda teams also go directly to lodging areas to meet with workers and self-employed individuals to directly answer their questions about social insurance and health insurance policies. At a lodging area in Ben Cat ward, after receiving advice on voluntary social insurance and family health insurance, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly still wondered: if a worker who has participated in voluntary social insurance starts working at a company and switches to mandatory social insurance, will the previous contribution period be added to their current one?

The social insurance officer at the Ben Cat branch cited a specific case: a worker participated in voluntary social insurance for 5 years, then joined a company and continued to pay mandatory social insurance; the entire participation period was recorded and combined according to regulations. This clear and practical explanation reassured Ms. Ly and highlighted the interconnectedness, sustainability, and humane nature of the social insurance policy.

In Nhieu Loc ward, awareness campaigns are linked to social welfare initiatives, with 50 social insurance books being distributed to poor and near-poor households, providing additional support for those facing difficulties. Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Dao, Deputy Director of the Nhieu Loc Social Insurance office, stated that the unit provides social insurance and health insurance consultations in residential areas, traditional markets, and crowded places; thereby helping people understand their rights and recognize the necessity of voluntarily participating in social insurance and health insurance.

Creating a sustainable social security foundation.

The Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency is launching a campaign month focused on universal social insurance with the theme "Social Insurance - a lifelong security pillar," aiming to recruit an additional 7,000 voluntary social insurance participants and 104,000 family health insurance participants by May 2026.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency, a large percentage of the informal labor sector still does not participate in social insurance and health insurance. This group is also vulnerable to fluctuations in health, income, and employment. Therefore, bringing policies to residential areas, lodging houses, and local markets is not just a simple propaganda activity, but also a solution to expand social security coverage at the grassroots level.

Through community meetings, social insurance officials directly answer questions related to contribution levels, participation methods, pension benefits, death benefits, and health insurance benefits. After receiving explanations, many people proactively registered to participate.

Mr. Tran Dung Ha, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency, informed that the activities in response to the Month of Campaigning and Implementing Universal Social Insurance in 2026 aim to widely disseminate the humanitarian values ​​of social insurance and health insurance policies, especially to informal sector workers, individual business households, and people who have not yet participated.

According to Mr. Ha, participating in voluntary social insurance and family health insurance is a way for each individual to proactively protect themselves against health and income risks, while also contributing to building a sustainable social security system.

The Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency has set the goal of continuing to expand the number of participants in social insurance and health insurance, fulfilling the targets of the Resolution of the 1st Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, term 2025-2030. Specifically, in 2026, the rate of people participating in health insurance will reach over 95%, aiming for universal coverage by 2030; the rate of people participating in social insurance will reach 62% of the working-age labor force.

Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance continues to reform administrative procedures to facilitate and simplify processes for people and businesses in participating in and benefiting from social insurance and health insurance policies. Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance also strengthens the training of staff to support the development of participants in order to improve the quality of service to the people, contributing to the sustainable development of the number of participants in social insurance and health insurance.

The Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency and the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union have implemented a joint plan for the period 2026-2030 on disseminating and implementing social insurance and health insurance policies and laws. The focus is on promoting voluntary social insurance and family health insurance through methods suitable for different groups of women; and simultaneously mobilizing social resources to donate social insurance books and health insurance cards to disadvantaged women members, single mothers raising young children, and elderly women aged 60-64.

DONG SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lan-toa-chinh-sach-an-sinh-tu-co-so-post854417.html