New rural communes have reduced health insurance
According to regulations, to meet the standards of a new rural commune, the health insurance coverage rate must reach over 93% of the population; for an advanced new rural commune, the health insurance coverage rate must reach over 95% of the population. However, currently in Ca Mau province, many communes are facing difficulties in maintaining this rate, causing some communes to fall in rank or not be able to meet the standards of a new rural commune or advanced new rural commune.
Mr. Thai Van Tinh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Dinh Binh Commune, Ca Mau City - shared: "In August, the rate of people participating in health insurance in the commune reached 89%, but by September this number dropped to 75%".
The main reason for this is that people mainly participate in health insurance on a 3-month cycle. When the participation period expires, they do not renew it, leading to a decrease in the health insurance coverage rate of the commune.
Ly Van Lam Commune, Ca Mau City, is striving to become a model NTM commune with improved NTM criteria. However, according to Ms. Cao Hong Cam - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee - the current health insurance coverage rate is only over 93%, lower than the target of 95% that the commune must achieve to maintain the NTM advanced standards.
Ms. Cam said: "We have directed local authorities at all levels to step up the mobilization to each household that has not yet participated in health insurance. The commune is determined to mobilize at least 250 more people to participate in health insurance from now until the end of the year to meet the standards."
Maintaining and improving health insurance coverage is a big challenge for many communes in Ca Mau province.
Propaganda alone is not enough.
Mr. Trinh Trung Kien - Director of the Social Insurance (SI) of Ca Mau province - said: The health insurance coverage rate of the whole province as of August 2024 reached 86.4%, equivalent to 1,071,814 participants. If the number of workers working outside the province is included, this rate will increase to 95.7%. However, many communes preparing to be recognized as meeting the NTM and advanced NTM standards have lower health insurance rates than the average, such as Tan An Tay and Tam Giang Tay communes (Ngoc Hien district) reaching only 76.8%, Tam Giang commune (Nam Can district) reaching only 66.3%.
The reason for the decline in health insurance coverage in communes is that people choose to pay short-term health insurance such as 3 months or 6 months, leading to a situation of discontinuous participation. In addition, from July 1, the health insurance premium has increased due to the increase in the basic salary, which also causes more difficulties for people in rural areas with limited income.
Faced with this situation, Ca Mau Provincial Social Insurance has come up with a solution not only to promote to achieve the target of new rural communes, but also to make efforts to mobilize people to participate in health insurance to protect their own health and finances.
To achieve this goal, the provincial Social Insurance recommends that the People's Committees of districts and cities, along with local Party committees and authorities, strengthen coordination with the Social Insurance to organize propaganda and review each household. Each hamlet and village will be assigned a target to mobilize the number of households with members who have not yet participated in health insurance. Local authorities focus on propaganda about the benefits of participating in health insurance, such as increasing the contribution level will go hand in hand with increasing benefits and medical services provided. The goal is not only to meet the criteria for the new rural areas but also to ensure that people have medical protection and minimize financial risks when facing health problems.
