Up to 91.58% of the national population are expected to join health insurance in 2021, according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).

The sector also aims to raise the rates of labourers participating in social insurance from 32.7% to 35.2%, and unemployment insurance from 27% to 28.5%.

To that end, the sector will continue with administrative reform and information-technology application, as well as artificial intelligence to better serve people and businesses.

It will also revamp the communications work to raise public awareness of social insurance, while intensifying inspections over social and health insurance payment of enterprises.

At a recent meeting of the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing (VNCA), VSS Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu said Vietnam aims to provide social insurance coverage for all elderly people nationwide by 2021.

According to a report of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam had nearly 13 million elderly people (aged 60 and above) in 2020, accounting for 12% of the population, with about 1.98 million aged over 80, and approximately 7.7 million elderly people living in rural areas.

The State budget spent about VND18 trillion (US$779.69 million) implementing social assistance policies for the elderly in the community. Specifically, more than 1.8 million elderly people received monthly allowances, over 1.4 million enjoyed allowances as national contributors, and 3.1 million are enjoying pensions and social insurance benefits. In addition, 12.1 million senior citizens currently have health insurance cards.

The VNCA highly appreciated the efforts made by the Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE) and its local chapters in creating conditions for the elderly to participate in cultural, musical and sports activities, while urging for more active support from all-level Party committees and authorities in the work.

At the meeting, VNCA members agreed that in the time ahead, ministries, sectors and localities should focus on implementing policies related to the elderly in close association with multidimensional poverty elimination policies.