Joint department of education and social insurance has just oriented the implementation of medical insurance for students of 2017-2018 academic year. To resolve the contents related to medical insurance policies for students in the new academic year, reporters of Binh Duong Newspaper interviewed Le Minh Ly (in photo), the Director of Provincial Social Insurance regarding the matter.
Reporter: Madam, how shall medical insurance premium be for students in 2017-2018?
Le Minh Ly: All students of national education institutions in the province are eligible for compulsory medical insurance, excepting for those issued with medical insurance cards of different subjects.
The premium payments shall be at 4.5% of basic salary multiplied by the months of medical insurance card use term. Of the payments, students shall pay 50% while the State assists 30% along with additional assistance of the provincial authority at 20% (applicable from May 4, 2017 to December 30, 2017).
Payment method: Grade 1 students or students without medical insurance cards pay for 15 months. Stage 1: Medical insurance card valid from October 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. Students shall pay 50% at VND 87,750; the education institutions are required for listing and pay prior to September 15, 2017. Stage 2: Medical insurance card valid from January 01, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Students shall pay 50% of the amounts for 12 months at VND 351,000; the education institutions are required for listing and pay prior to December 15, 2017
For Grade 12 students, senior students are required to pay for 9 months (medical insurance card valid from January 01, 2018 to September 30, 2018. Of the payments, students shall pay 50% for the amounts of 9 months at VND 263,250; the education institutions are required for listing and pay prior to December 15, 2017.
Reporter: Madam, what new features shall medical insurance for students in 2017-2018 include? As far as we have known that the province has extract from surplus of 2015 to assist social insurance premium payments for students?
Le Minh Ly: In 2017-2018, medical insurance for students has 3 new features: Firstly, district level departments, sectors and people’s committees and local education institutions of the province including universities, colleges, professional middle schools and vocational schools have to coordinate to ensure all medical insurance premium payments from students as required by Provincial People’s Committee Chair under Official Document number 2499/UBND-VX dated June 20, 2017. Secondly, as the basic salary available on July 1, 2017 at VND 1,300,000, the social insurance premium for each student in each month has increased. Thirdly, despite the increment, Provincial People’s Committee has approved plan to make use of VND 59 billion which is 20% of surplus of medical healthcare in 2015 services to assist premium payments from 3 subjects under Decision No. 1107/QD-UBND dated May 4, 2017 of students, farmers, of average living standards, medical insured family members. Accordingly, students are assisted by 20% of their payments to increase total assistance of 50% as required by medical insurance law. Therefore, students of 12-month medical insurance are only required to pay VND 351,000 instead of VND 491,400 as before. This is the first time such assistance is extended by the province.
Reporter: Currently, various medical insurance forms are available for students including insurance policies under household and schools. According to you, what should student choose the forms?
Le Minh Ly: Under Clause 2 of Article 13 of Medical Insurance Law 2008 and amended law in 2014, people of different subjects of medical insurance required by Article 12 of the law shall pay insurance premium by the first subject attributed to such people in ordinary order of the subjects stated by Article 12 of the same law. Students belong to subject of State’s assistance as per Clause 4 of Article 12 of amended Medical Insurance Law 2017 (subject number 4). Members of families are governed by Clause 5 of Article 12 of the amended Medical Insurance Law 2014 (subject number 5). Accordingly, students must pay their social insurance premium at their registered schools as students and be assisted by 50% of the payments by the provincial surplus of medical services in 2015 and the State’s budget.
Reporter: Madam, what shall be for subject of exemption? Some parents believe that once the student has purchased body insurance under their household, they shall no longer need more medical insurance. What are your opinions?
Le Minh Ly: Students of poor households, martyrs’ family, military officers’ issued with medical insurance card of subject number 3 of Medial Insurance Law need not to attend medical insurance at their schools.
As far as I know, the mentioned insurance policy is offered by private insurers while we follow Medical Insurance Law which enforces students to medical insurance policies. For payments of only VND 351,000 of medical insurance premium in 12 months, the insured students shall be paid 80% of their healthcare services on hospitalization within the beneficial zone as required which can be amounted to millions of VND or higher. In the meantime, they are offered health services at their schools.
Reporter: Thank you!
Interviewed by T. Vy – Translated by Vi Bao
