Ho Chi Minh City adjusts health insurance support levels and birthday gifts for the elderly

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved important social security policies, including support for health insurance premiums for the elderly and students, and adjustments to the level of spending on birthday and longevity gifts. These changes aim to overcome overlaps and unify policies after the city organized a two-level local government and merged administrative units.

On November 14, at the 5th session, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council passed a resolution regulating the level of health insurance support for the elderly and students in the area, and adjusting the level of gifts for longevity and birthday celebrations for the elderly according to new regulations after the administrative unit arrangement.

The issuance of the resolution regulating the level of health insurance support for the elderly and students comes from the need to review and unify policies after Ho Chi Minh City piloted the organization of a two-level local government and merged with the two provinces of Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong from July 1.

The Resolution regulates the scope of adjustment for 2 groups: people from 65 to under 75 years old who are actually residing, not yet receiving health insurance support from other policies; and high school students, students studying regular education programs at public and non-public institutions in the area.

Ho Chi Minh City has just adjusted the level of health insurance support for the elderly and students, along with adjusting the level of longevity gift spending.

PHOTO: SY DONG

For people aged 75 and over who are poor or near-poor according to the city's multidimensional standards and reside in Can Gio district (old), the policy still maintains the free health insurance card issuance level.

Students from poor and near-poor households according to the criteria set by the city will be supported with 70% of the cost of purchasing health insurance cards, in accordance with the provisions of Clause 6, Article 6 of Decree 188/2025/ND-CP on the minimum support level of 70% of the contribution level. Students studying at general education and continuing education institutions and identified as having multidimensional poor household income are also eligible for this support.

At the same time, a resolution related to regulations on the level of spending on birthday gifts for the elderly was also submitted for adjustment to comply with current laws.

According to Circular 96/2018/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance, the budget for congratulating the elderly at the age of 100 and 90 is arranged in the annual regular expenditure estimate of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health (formerly the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs). However, according to the new decree and legal guidelines, the budget for congratulating and giving gifts to the elderly at the age of 100 and 90 must be arranged in the budget estimate of the People's Committees of wards, communes and neighborhoods. Therefore, the Department of Finance requests the Department of Health to clarify the legal basis and adjust this content in the draft.

According to current regulations, the President will give a gift of 5 meters of silk fabric and VND 700,000 in cash to a 100-year-old person; the Chairman of the People's Committee of the province or city will give a gift of goods and VND 500,000 in cash to a 90-year-old person. Based on the assessment of the Department of Justice, the Department of Health proposed to amend Article 3 of the draft resolution in the direction of "funding for implementation is guaranteed from the state budget according to current regulations on budget decentralization", in accordance with the Budget Law and Decree 84/2024/ND-CP on decentralization to Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/tp-hcm-dieu-chinh-muc-ho-tro-bhyt-va-chi-qua-chuc-tho-mung-tho-nguoi-cao-tuoi-1019987.html