In school year 2019-2020, Binh Duong province decided to use balance of health insurance fund 2018 to fund more 30% health insurance premiums for students and pupils, in addition to 30% support by the State budget. Therefore, student health insurance's coverage in the last school year gained good results. Binh Duong Newspaper had an interview with Le Minh Ly, Director of Binh Duong Social Insurance, about this issue.
Health check-up program for children at Tan Phuoc Khanh Primary School (Tan Uyen Town).
- Ma'am, in school year 2019-2020, premiums of student health insurance were supported by the province by balance of health insurance fund 2018. So how is the result?
- In school year 2019-2020, the province funded 30% premiums of student health insurance, plus 30% funded by State budget under Health Insurance Law. Hence, students and pupils in the last school year had to pay only 40% premium to buy health insurance.
The result was that in school year 2019-2020 Binh Duong had nearly 100% students and pupils participating in health insurance. Specifically, in primary schools, there were 199,369/199,369 children participating in health insurance, reaching 100%; secondary school 104,518/104,518 children participating in health insurance, reaching 100%; high school 41,460/42,193 students participating in health insurance, reaching a rate of 98.26%; 733 children did not participate in health insurance, accounting for 1.74%. 3,623/3,623 children participated in health insurance, reaching 100%, at continuing education bloc. Professional and intermediate vocational schools had 1,574/1,574 students participating in health insurance, reaching 100%.
Colleges/vocational colleges had 7,417/7,156 students participating in health insurance, reaching a rate of 96.48%; 261 students did not participate in health insurance, accounting for 3.52%. Vocational Education Centers/Vocational Training Centers had 4,185/4,185 students participating in health insurance, reaching 100%. Universities had 13,385/17,012 students participating in health insurance, reaching a rate of 78.68%; 3,627 students did not participate in health insurance, accounting for 21.32%. In the province, only 9 schools had the rate of students participating in health insurance did not reach 100%.
- Ma'am, according to the data, all districts, towns and cities in the province achieved 100% students' participation in health insurance; only a few localities did not reach this rate. So what was the reason?
- Almost districts, towns and cities in Binh Duong province achieved 100% students' participation in health insurance. Only Di An City and Thu Dau Mot City did not reach 100%.
Accordingly, Di An City completed 99.83%, the reason was that Dong An High-Tech Vocational College achieved 91.58%, because 125 students did not participated in health insurance.
Thu Dau An Mot City completed only 94.53%, the reason was that 8 schools did not reached 100% students' participation in health insurance. In particular, the general education bloc had 3 schools, college bloc had 1 school, and university bloc had 4 schools.
Schools that did not reach 100% mainly were 3 private high schools, 2 colleges, 4 universities, and only one public high school. In particular, students who did not buy health insurance were in 4 universities (3,627 students), accounting for 78.5%; if problems in universities are resolved, the health insurance coverage rate of the whole province will soon reach 100%.
- To strive for the target of 100% students participating in health insurance in school year 2020-2021, what solutions will Provincial Social Insurance implement, ma'am?
- Relevant departments, branches, schools and educational institutions in the province have successfully observed and implemented Directive No. 13/CT-UBND dated August 28, 2020 of Provincial People's Committee on enhancing the implementation of student's health insurance and Guidance No. 01/HD/BHXH-GDĐT-LĐTB &XH dated August 7, 2020 signed between Provincial Social Insurance, Department of Education and Training, and Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs.
The provincial and district social insurance agencies cooperated with relevant agencies to strengthen the communication of Law on Health Insurance, especially on student's health insurance in practical and effective forms, especially direct communication to teachers and parents at beginning of the school year to improve understanding of the importance of health insurance policy.
Strengthening the close collaboration between Department of Health and Provincial Social Insurance; to well carry out medical check-up and treatment, ensuring all health insurance benefits for students and other subjects. To coordinate the examination and supervision of the compliance with of law on student's health insurance at schools; heads, principals of educational institutions will be examined, if student's health insurance policy is not well implemented so that coverage rate is low. To establish an interdisciplinary inspection team according to decision of Provincial People's Committee or District People's Committees to inspect some schools where coverage rates do not reach 100%.
- Ma'am, to fulfil 100% student taking part in health insurance in school year 2020-2021 in the province, what are recommendations of Provincial Social Insurance?
- State management agencies must ask school principals to improve their sense of responsibility and take more drastic solutions, as this is compulsory health insurance.
Provincial People's Committee needs to assign specific responsibilities to each department, branch, social insurance agency, and district People's Committees to follow the implementation progress in the new school year, immediately work with schools that do not reach the 100% coverage rate, to set this as a target. To collaborate with interdisciplinary inspection teams to apply sanctions in accordance with the law.
- Thank you!
Reported by Tuong Vy - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
