Effective implementation of the Law on Health Insurance

Register for health examination and treatment under health insurance at Bac Yen District General Hospital.

To date, the province has 1,238,636 people participating in health insurance, with a coverage rate of 93.1% of the population. To ensure unified and effective implementation, Son La province has synchronously deployed solutions so that the Law on Health Insurance can soon come into effect.

The 2024 Social Insurance Law, consisting of 11 chapters and 141 articles, is an increase of 2 chapters and 16 articles compared to the current Social Insurance Law. It focuses on resolving shortcomings in medical examination and treatment and improving the rights of participants.

Most notably, health insurance participants are entitled to 100% of the benefits at the initial registration facility nationwide, no longer limited by locality or treatment line as before. This gives patients more flexibility in choosing the appropriate medical facility, reducing cumbersome procedures when going for examination and treatment. Patients, especially those with serious illnesses or requiring high technology, can go directly to higher-level medical facilities without a referral, helping to reduce waiting time and travel costs.

Another important change is to increase the proportion of health insurance fund expenditure for medical examination and treatment activities to 92% (previously 90%), helping medical facilities have more resources to improve service quality, invest in equipment and facilities, and better meet the increasing needs of people for medical examination and treatment.

A more flexible payment mechanism for drugs and medical equipment ensures that patients do not have to interrupt their treatment. If a medical facility does not have the necessary drugs or equipment and cannot transfer the patient elsewhere, the health insurance will cover the cost of transfer between facilities. In cases where drugs or medical equipment are in the bidding process or are not available at the time of prescription, patients can purchase them outside and the health insurance fund will pay for them according to regulations.

The 2024 Law on Health Insurance adds a number of subjects participating in compulsory health insurance paid or supported by the state budget, including: people aged 70 to under 75 from near-poor households and people aged 75 and over who are receiving monthly survivor benefits; medical staff, village midwives; people participating in security and order protection forces at the grassroots level; people from households working in agriculture , forestry, fishery and salt production with an average living standard. This not only increases the coverage of health insurance but also ensures health care benefits for more population groups. In addition, people under 18 years old are also given additional benefits, including treatment for strabismus and refractive errors...

On May 13, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued a plan to implement Law No. 51/2024/QH15 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance in the province. Directing departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to review relevant legal documents and professional guidance documents to propose amendments, supplements, replacements, repeals or new issuances to ensure compliance with the provisions of Law No. 51/2024/QH15 amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance.

Departments, branches, sectors, socio-political organizations, and relevant agencies shall promote the dissemination, popularization, and understanding of the basic contents of the 2024 Law on Health Insurance, guiding documents, and other legal provisions related to health insurance in appropriate forms to all cadres, civil servants, public employees, armed forces, and people in the province, such as at training conferences; agency meetings, party cell meetings, activities of mass organizations, group and hamlet meetings, etc.

Accordingly, on May 23, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued a plan to implement the peak period of "Integrating Health Insurance Cards on the VNeID application" in Son La province. With the goal that by June 30, 2025, the end of the peak period, 80% of citizens aged 18 and over will have a level 2 electronic identification account with integrated Health Insurance cards on the VNeID application.

The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities shall direct the People's Committees at the commune level to arrange appropriate peak deployment points in the area, ensuring that each commune has at least one peak deployment point. At the same time, each point shall arrange at least 2 computers connected to the internet to support and integrate information for people who do not use smartphones and 3 or more volunteers to support and guide people to install and integrate health insurance cards on the VNeID application on smartphones.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/bao-hiem-xa-hoi-tinh-son-la/trien-khai-hieu-qua-luat-bao-hiem-y-te-vXPGRtBHg.html