Towards comprehensive health insurance coverage in schools

HCM City Social Insurance officials advise on health insurance policies for students

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Currently, the whole country has nearly 21 million students entering the 2025-2026 school year. This is a young force that receives special attention from the Party and the State. According to Vietnam Social Security, the rate of students participating in health insurance has always increased over the years. Many cases of students with chronic diseases or serious illnesses are supported with hundreds of millions of VND, even billions of VND for medical examination and treatment, helping to reduce the financial burden on their families, ensuring health for study and development. Statistics up to June 30, 2025, nationwide there are about 20.8 million students participating in health insurance, reaching 98.4% of the total number of students.

From July 1, 2025, the central budget will support 50% of the health insurance premium for students. After receiving state budget support, the amount of health insurance premium for students is 631,800 VND/year, a decrease of 252,720 VND/year compared to before. In addition, many localities have balanced the local budget and mobilized social resources to support the health insurance premium for students in the area.

Vietnam Social Security assesses this as a reasonable contribution level, contributing to significantly reducing the financial burden on families, especially those in difficult circumstances with many children, while ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate in health insurance and access equitable health care services. The policy is an important step forward, demonstrating the determination of the Party and State in taking care of the health of the young generation, ensuring that "no student is left behind" on the journey to achieve the goal of universal health care, contributing to increasing the health insurance coverage rate among the young population.

In addition, increasing the minimum health insurance contribution support by 50% helps students' families reduce their economic burden, contributing to the early completion of the goal of 100% of students participating in health insurance, so that all students are guaranteed health care benefits; and improving the sustainability of the health insurance fund. To realize the goal of 100% of students participating in health insurance, Vietnam Social Security has requested social insurance of provinces and cities to strengthen close coordination with schools, closely urge to further increase the rate of students participating in health insurance, promote propaganda and development of health insurance for students in a flexible manner with many forms.

In addition, many localities have mobilized legal resources to support additional health insurance contributions for students, especially students in difficult circumstances and ethnic minorities. In particular, Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance proposed that the city increase the level of health insurance contribution support for students to 70% of the contribution level. Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance also proposed to include health insurance content in resolutions and work programs for the school year; assign the target of 100% health insurance participation rate for students as a competition criterion; include student health insurance contributions in the compulsory collection at the beginning of the school year, especially for students from the second year onwards. Youth Unions and Student Associations of schools have increased consultation; mobilized, supported a part of the contribution level, and given health insurance cards to students in disadvantaged groups.

Instructions for implementing student health insurance in Ho Chi Minh City

With the information that the state budget supports 50% of the cost of participating in health insurance for students, many parents of students in Ho Chi Minh City feel happier and more secure when their children enter the new school year. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Huong (Dong Hung Thuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that with 2 children studying, the new support level will help the family reduce some expenses, thereby being able to buy more books and clothes at the beginning of the school year. Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen, a worker at Tan Tao Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, said she was very excited with the support level of the State. In the near future, if Ho Chi Minh City approves the policy of supporting 70% of the cost of participating in health insurance for students, her family will reduce a significant amount of expenses to ensure medical benefits for her children. Raising the support level for health insurance contributions for students is a humane decision, with the right direction in developing a comprehensive and fair social security system.

Recently, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City and the Social Insurance of Ho Chi Minh City issued inter-sectoral guidelines on the collection of health insurance for students in the 2025-2026 school year in Ho Chi Minh City. Accordingly, the subjects participating are students studying at educational institutions in the national education system in Ho Chi Minh City, except for students who have participated in health insurance according to other groups of subjects according to the provisions of the Law on Health Insurance; foreign students are not granted scholarships from the budget of the State of Vietnam. In particular, students who have participated in family health insurance must switch to participating in student health insurance at the educational institution to receive deductions for primary health care costs.

According to regulations, the reference health insurance contribution level for students from July 1, 2025 is 2,340,000 VND. The health insurance contribution level for students is calculated at 4.5% of the reference level, in which the state budget supports 50%. Specifically, the contribution level for 3 months is 315,900 VND (students pay 157,950 VND, the budget supports 157,950 VND); 6 months is 631,800 VND (students pay 315,900 VND, the budget supports 315,900 VND); 12 months is 1,263,600 VND (students pay 631,800 VND, the budget supports 631,800 VND). In case the State adjusts the reference level or contribution rate, both students and the budget will not have to make additional payments and will not be refunded the difference that has arisen over the remaining time.

Students register and pay at the educational institution where they are studying at the beginning of the school year, the course according to the following methods: 3 months, 6 months, 12 months. In case the health insurance card is still valid, students can pay to continue participating. The educational institution is responsible for urging and reminding students to pay for health insurance; the social insurance agency records the health insurance payment process for students promptly upon receiving complete documents and payment amount.

HCMC Social Insurance notes that students whose health insurance cards expire in the remaining months of 2025 or have not yet participated in health insurance will only participate in health insurance for the remaining months until December 31, 2025. Then, participate in health insurance for 2026. For students from near-poor households, according to regulations, they must participate in health insurance at the local level and receive 70% of the cost from the budget. In case they have not participated in the local level, they will participate in student health insurance at school. Students with health insurance cards in other groups (relatives of police, military, cryptography; poor households, near-poor households...) if their cards expire and they do not continue to participate in the old group, they will immediately join the student group at school. Parents and students can look up the expiration date of their health insurance cards via the VssID application or the website of Vietnam Social Insurance at: https://baohiemxahoi.gov. vn/tracuu/pages/tra-cuu-thoi-hanoi-su-dung-the-bhyt.aspx

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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/huong-den-bao-phu-toan-dien-bhyt-trong-truong-hoc-post812409.html