Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong has just signed and issued Circular 60/2025/TT-BYT regulating occupational diseases entitled to social insurance and guiding diagnosis and assessment of the level of work capacity reduction due to occupational diseases.
The Circular is an important legal basis to ensure the rights of workers affected by health due to working conditions, and at the same time replace previous regulations that are no longer appropriate.
35 occupational diseases entitled to social insurance
According to Article 3 of Circular 60/2025/TT-BYT, the List of occupational diseases entitled to social insurance includes 35 diseases, divided into 6 main groups.
The group of lung dust - respiratory diseases includes 7 diseases such as: silica lung dust, asbestos lung dust, coal lung dust, chronic bronchitis occupational, asthma occupational...
The group of heavy chemical and metal poisoning diseases includes 10 diseases, including lead, benzene, mercury, manganese, arsenic, cadmium, carbon monoxide poisoning...
The group of diseases due to physical factors includes 6 diseases such as vocational deafness due to noise, depressive disease, disease due to whole-body vibration, local vibration, occupational radiation, occupational cataracts.
The occupational skin disease group includes 5 diseases related to chemical exposure, humid environment, prolonged cold or natural rubber.
The group of occupational-related infectious diseases includes 5 diseases such as occupational tuberculosis, hepatitis B, occupational hepatitis C, and HIV infection due to occupational accidents.
The group of cancers, especially diseases, includes occupational mesothelioma and occupational COVID-19.
Principles of diagnosis, treatment and examination
Circular 60/2025/TT-BYT stipulates that employees after being diagnosed with occupational diseases must limit exposure to pathogens, be treated according to professional guidance from the Ministry of Health; occupational poisoning diseases must be detoxified and detoxified promptly.
Employers are responsible for introducing employees for medical examination to determine the level of work capacity reduction, as a basis for enjoying social insurance benefits; and at the same time ensure treatment, nursing, and rehabilitation according to regulations.
Some occupational diseases cannot be treated stably and cases of occupational cancer must be transferred for examination immediately to ensure the rights of workers.
Basis for adding occupational diseases to the list
According to the Circular, the supplementation of occupational diseases entitled to social insurance is based on criteria such as:
Determine the link between harmful factors in labor and specific diseases;
The incidence rate in the exposed labor group is higher than the non-exposed group;
The disease has been internationally recognized as a occupational disease, although it is not eligible for research in Vietnam.
Notably, many diseases can appear after many years of exposure, even when employees have retired or switched to other jobs.
Circular 60/2025/TT-BYT takes effect from February 15, 2026, and at the same time repeals Circular 15/2016/TT-BYT and Circular 02/2023/TT-BYT on occupational diseases entitled to social insurance.
The issuance of the new Circular is expected to improve the effectiveness of occupational disease management, and at the same time help workers not miss out on their legitimate social insurance benefits.
