Hope the elderly and students in Ho Chi Minh City will soon be exempted from health insurance fees

Ho Chi Minh City's proposal to waive health insurance fees for 2.7 million elderly people and students has received positive support, with many hoping that this policy will be approved soon.

As reported by Thanh Nien , the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee sent the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council a proposal to register the drafting of a resolution regulating the level of health insurance support for the elderly and students in the area according to simplified procedures. With a 100% support level, students and people over 65 years old will be exempt from health insurance fees in 2026.

More than 2 million students in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to be exempt from health insurance fees by 2026.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Specifically, people aged 65-75 who have not received health insurance support from other policies will be supported 100% of the contribution. Meanwhile, students studying in educational and training institutions will be supported 100% of the contribution, including 50% according to the central government's general policy and 50% supported by the Ho Chi Minh City budget.

To implement the above policy, in 2026, Ho Chi Minh City budget is estimated to spend 2,138 billion VND. It is expected that more than 2.7 million people will benefit from this policy, including more than 676,000 elderly people and 2.03 million students.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee said that free health insurance for the elderly and students from the budget has profound humanistic value, demonstrating the concern of the Party Committee and the city government in taking care of people's health, contributing to the development of a comprehensive social security system, and improving people's quality of life.

Totally support

Responding to the above information, Thanh Nien readers welcomed this proposal. "I fully support this proposal, this is proof that Ho Chi Minh City is truly putting the interests and health of its people first. This policy is not only financial support but also an investment in human capital and healthy life expectancy of its people. It affirms the vision of building a city that is not only rich but also compassionate and responsible," said Nguyen Kiet, a reader of Thanh Nien Newspaper.

Sharing the same opinion, BĐ Diễm Thi commented: "Free health insurance helps minimize the situation of missing people who do not participate in health insurance due to economic difficulties, bringing Ho Chi Minh City closer to the goal of 100% of people having health insurance cards by 2030. Fully support!".

Tam An Board of Directors wrote: "I am very happy that our children, the students, are guaranteed school health without increasing the financial burden on their families. This policy removes the barrier of health insurance costs, helping students focus fully on studying and developing their future. This is a guarantee for a generation of healthy citizens in the future."

"This proposal demonstrates the government's deep understanding of the real difficulties that people are facing, especially in the context of escalating prices. Eliminating the burden of health insurance fees, even if small, is very meaningful for low- and middle-income households," said Tien Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Department of Health Insurance.

Hope to be approved soon

Not only expressing consensus, many opinions also hope that this policy will soon take effect. "The profound human value of the policy lies in the fact that it not only cares for the elderly but also cares for the future of the country, demonstrating comprehensive care throughout generations. It is a multi-dimensional and comprehensive policy. I hope this proposal will soon be approved and applied in practice," said Mr. Hoang Thien.

Similarly, BĐ Phương Ngân wrote: "I fully support this proposal of the city and hope that free health insurance for the elderly and students will be expanded nationwide, especially in more economically difficult areas. Ho Chi Minh City has set a good precedent."

BD Linh Tran stated his opinion: "I hope this policy will be approved soon in the nearest session of the City People's Council. The wait of millions of people, especially the elderly who need medical care, is huge, and early implementation will bring immediate benefits."

"After the policy is applied, medical facilities need to improve the quality of health insurance examination and treatment, so that people who benefit from the policy feel it is worthy of this large investment from the city," Thanh Ngan, Director of the Department of Health, suggested.

* This policy is a big boost for the social insurance industry, helping to raise people's awareness of the important role of health insurance in life. It builds a culture of voluntary insurance participation.

Quang Tan

* Hopefully, after the elderly and students, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to research to expand the scope of health insurance support to other vulnerable groups such as low-income freelance workers.

Duc Quyen

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mong-nguoi-gia-hoc-sinh-o-tphcm-som-duoc-mien-phi-bhyt-185251024190200965.htm