When health insurance becomes a fulcrum
In the age of students, health is the foundation for studying, training and pursuing dreams. However, illness can come unexpectedly, from accidents, acute diseases to severe, chronic, and dangerous diseases requiring long-term treatment at very high costs. In these circumstances, health insurance is not only a health care policy but also an important financial support for each family.
Reality shows that many students who unfortunately suffer from diseases such as cancer, blood diseases, cardiovascular disease, bone marrow failure, lupus erythematosus, myocarditis, sepsis, epilepsy... have been paid by the Health Insurance Fund for medical examination and treatment costs at a very large level. Thanks to that, patients have more conditions to continue treatment, families reduce the pressure to pay all medical expenses themselves, thereby helping them have more opportunities to recover their health and return to school.
According to data from the Health Insurance Assessment System updated to June 27, 2026, in 2025 and the first 6 months of 2026, 30 cases with large medical examination and treatment costs were recorded to be paid by the Health Insurance Fund, including many students.
Notably, in the first 6 months of 2026 alone, the Health Insurance Fund has paid nearly 2,145 billion VND for more than 4.09 million medical examination and treatment visits of students. Of which, students have more than 3.52 million medical examination and treatment visits, with the amount paid by the Health Insurance Fund being about 1,807.2 billion VND; students have more than 565 thousand visits, with the amount paid being about 337.4 billion VND.
If considering only cases with large medical examination and treatment costs, the sharing scale of the Health Insurance Fund is even more clearly shown. In the first 6 months of 2026, 779 students were paid by the Health Insurance Fund from 100 million VND to under 200 million VND; 234 students belonged to the group from 200 million VND to under 500 million VND; 23 students were paid from 500 million VND to under 1 billion VND and 3 students had a payment level of 1 billion VND or more.
These figures show that health insurance is practically present in the process of caring for and protecting the health of the younger generation, and at the same time becomes an important financial "cushion" when unfortunately disease risks occur.
Payments of over 1 billion VND
Among students who are paid large medical examination and treatment costs by the Health Insurance Fund in the first 6 months of 2026, there are cases where the payment amount exceeds 1 billion VND.
A student born in 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City, suffering from special blood clotting disorders and heart failure, was paid by the Health Insurance Fund up to 1,369,481,596 VND. A student born in 2015 in Hanoi, treated for sepsis, anal-rectal disease and postoperative intestinal obstruction, was paid 1,152,179,415 VND.
Notably, a student born in 2007 in Phu Tho, treated for arrhythmia, was paid 1,043,580.753 VND by the Health Insurance Fund.
In addition, many other students are also paid at a very high level by the Health Insurance Fund. A student born in 2009 in Phu Tho was paid more than 934 million VND for treatment of blood clotting disorders, paralysis of both legs and quadriplegia, intracranial bleeding; a student in Thanh Hoa was paid nearly 892 million VND for treatment of spinal collapse and kidney syndrome.
Many other cases are paid over 700 million VND by the Health Insurance Fund to treat complex diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia, lupus erythematosus, bone marrow failure, sepsis, epilepsy...
Behind each number is a specific medical condition and a treatment journey that no family wants. For students - most of whom do not have independent income - a long treatment course costing hundreds of millions of VND, even more than 1 billion VND, can become a very heavy burden for the family.
Therefore, the large payments of the Health Insurance Fund are not only of financial significance, but also clearly show the humane value of health insurance policy - a risk sharing mechanism among participants, so that when someone unfortunately gets sick, the community joins hands to reduce the burden.
But the value of student health insurance is not only seen through large payments when students get sick. Right at school, funds from the Health Insurance Fund are used to carry out primary health care, contributing to first aid, initial treatment and monitoring of students' health when necessary.
When having to be examined and treated at a medical facility, students are reimbursed by the Health Insurance Fund within the scope of benefits and benefit levels according to regulations. Along with expanding the benefits of medical examination and treatment according to new regulations from July 1, 2026, the protection value of the health insurance card for students is even more clearly shown.
This also shows the meaning of continuously maintaining health insurance cards. When health risks occur, patients do not have to start from scratch in finding financial resources for treatment. The health insurance card helps families be more proactive in the face of unexpected medical expenses.
Not only protecting health and reducing financial burdens, participating in health insurance also contributes to forming students' awareness of proactively taking care of and protecting their health from when they are still in school; and at the same time educating the young generation about the spirit of risk sharing, responsibility to the community and awareness of participating in social security policies.
Towards 100% of students participating in health insurance
To create more favorable conditions for students to participate in health insurance, the State's support policy is increasingly concerned. From July 1, 2025, the minimum support level from the state budget for health insurance contributions of students will be increased from 30% to 50%. In the 2026-2027 school year, students will continue to be supported by the State with a minimum of 50% of health insurance contributions.
In the 2024-2025 school year, the whole country has more than 20.8 million students participating in health insurance, reaching a coverage rate of 98.4%. This is a positive result, showing that student health insurance has become an important part of the social security system and has received increasing attention and response from parents, students, and schools.
Towards the goal of 100% of students participating in health insurance, many localities are continuing to synchronously implement solutions to expand and maintain coverage. In Tay Ninh, in the 2025-2026 school year, the whole province has 499,237 students participating in health insurance, reaching a rate of 100%. In Lao Cai, as of August 11, 2026, there are 368,336 students participating in health insurance, reaching 99.6%; the locality is continuing to implement solutions to achieve the 100% target in the 2026-2027 school year.
Along with expanding coverage, localities also focus on ensuring the rights and primary health care for students; strengthening coordination between social insurance agencies, the education sector, the health sector and educational institutions in organizing policy implementation. The application of VNeID, VssID and citizen identification cards in health insurance medical examination and treatment is also becoming more convenient, contributing to improving the quality of service for participants.
From supporting contribution levels, expanding participation rates to ensuring the rights to medical examination, treatment and primary health care, the above results show the synchronous involvement of all levels and sectors in implementing HSSV health insurance policies.
Entering the new school year, besides the baggage of knowledge and skills, proactively participating in health insurance fully and on time is also a necessary preparation for each student. It is not only a way to proactively protect their own health, but also to promote the sharing meaning of health insurance policies, contributing to reducing financial pressure for families when unfortunately risks occur.
Participating in health insurance is not only to protect the health care rights of each student today, but also to prepare a financial "shield" against unpredictable risks.
When each student has an additional security class, each family has an additional support and the school has more conditions to take care of school health, health insurance policy will continue to promote its role as an important pillar of social security, accompanying the young generation on the journey of learning, growing up and building the future.
