Vietnam has 85.39 million health insurance holders as of the end of 2019, accounting for 90 percent of the population, heard a recent conference.

A worker of Phu Tho Social Insurance Agency talks to a social-insurance user
in northern Phu Tho Province. (Photo: VNA) 

The conference was held by the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) last week to give updates on social security, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in Vietnam this year.

The VSS reported that over 15.18 million Vietnamese have been covered by compulsory social insurance by the end of 2019 while the number of people who joined occupational accident and disease insurance and unemployment insurance schemes are 15.07 million and 13.34 million, respectively.

By expanding the coverage of social insurance and health insurance, the premiums increased to 361.55 trillion VND (15.67 billion USD) this year, 0.54 percent higher than the year’s plan.

In 2019, the country saw 551,000 join voluntary social insurance, doubling the total holders last year which stood at 270,000. It was viewed as a remarkable result, given that the figure was just 6,000 in 2008 when the scheme was first introduced.

About 30 million people are yet to participate in the social insurance scheme.