The Ministry of Health has proposed to the government to raise health insurance for disadvantaged people, including families whose economic conditions are close to the poverty line, as well as farmers, students and blue-collar workers.
According to the ministry’s proposal, which is part of a project to conduct a health insurance road map for the whole country, 30 percent of the population that do not have health insurance will receive more support from the government.
Tong Thi Song Huong, director of the Health Insurance Department under the Health Ministry, said that the number of health insurance card holders in the country was 56 million, making up 64 percent of the national population.
However, Huong said more than 30 percent of the population did not own health insurance and most of them being people in the low economic strata. Due to poor economic conditions, these people neglected buying insurance and will surely face a financial crisis if they fall sick.
Accordingly, the ministry proposed to the government to give more support to these people. Students must receive 50 percent health insurance while people from families close to the poverty line must get 70 percent support. People in distant mountainous regions and ethnic minority groups must enjoy 100 percent support on buying health insurance.
The ministry also proposed to the Government to raise rate of health insurance premiums for farmers, and people involved in fisheries, forestry and salt, to 60 percent from the current 30 percent. This will lessen their burden and encourage them to buy health insurance.
Once the proposal is approved, the new rates will apply in 2013.
