Elderly residents in Ho Chi Minh City may receive complimentary health insurance cards starting at the age of 60.
The merger of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, and Bình Dương into a single metropolis has brought about a series of changes, with the focus primarily on administrative efficiency, economic synergy, and regional development. However, the impact on health insurance premium support for different demographics in each former province remains unclear [1][2][3][4][5].
In an effort to address this, the HCM City Social Security Office has proposed several new policies aimed at increasing coverage and synchronising health insurance policies to protect citizen rights, whether in the centre or remote areas.
One of the key proposals is to support 100% of health insurance premiums for people aged from 60 to under 75 years old who are not eligible for retirement or eligible for State budget sponsorship. This extends the current support provided by the former HCM City to a larger segment of the population.
The new policies will also benefit more than 2.85 million people in the city, with a total annual support budget of about VNĐ1.59 trillion (US$60.69 million).
The former HCM City already supports 100% of health insurance premiums for people aged 75 and over from poor and near-poor households in Cần Giờ, people with serious illnesses, abandoned orphans, and children with mild disabilities from six to 16 years old. Similarly, the former Bình Dương Province supports 100% of health insurance costs for people aged 70 and over, ethnic minorities, unemployed workers after unemployment benefits expire, and those who have just escaped poverty within two years.
The former Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province supports all health insurance costs for people aged 65 and over, the poor, and those who have just escaped poverty. Meanwhile, poor students in the former HCM City are supported with 70% of health insurance premiums.
The city plans to implement solutions to ensure the rights of the people, aiming to protect citizen rights regardless of location, whether in the city centre or remote areas. To achieve this, the city Social Security proposes to use the highest support policies of the three localities as the basis for building a new resolution.
After the merger, the expanded city has a population of about 14 million people. The new policies, if approved, will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the health insurance landscape of the merged entity.
The new policies are expected to be submitted to a meeting of the municipal People's Council at the end of 2025. These proposed changes highlight the city's commitment to social welfare and underscore its efforts to ensure equitable access to health insurance for all its citizens.
[1]: Source 1 [2]: Source 2 [3]: Source 3 [4]: Source 4 [5]: Source 5
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