Leaders of the Provincial Social Insurance Agency presented health insurance cards to people in difficult circumstances in Tan Lap commune, Moc Chau district.

By the end of July, the entire province had 1,251,911 people participating in health insurance, reaching a coverage rate of 95.3% of the population. This means that over 60,000 people still lack health insurance cards; many of them are disadvantaged or have recently escaped poverty. With the goal of "leaving no one behind," the Provincial People's Committee is calling for the generosity of organizations, businesses, and philanthropists to join hands and contribute; agencies and units are urged to encourage their officials and employees to donate at least one health insurance card each to people in difficult circumstances who do not receive state budget support.

In Thuan Chau district, the District Social Insurance agency has advised the District Party Committee and the District People's Committee to issue a document calling on organizations, individuals, and businesses, and assigning targets to units in the area to implement the social mobilization of donating health insurance cards to people in difficult circumstances. Mr. Tong Van Thang, Director of the District Social Insurance agency, shared: In two months, five agencies and units in the district have donated more than 110 million VND. Currently, the District Social Insurance agency is continuing to call for social mobilization to purchase health insurance cards; coordinating with the District Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and the People's Committees of communes and towns to review and select disadvantaged individuals who are not provided with health insurance cards by the State to propose to the Provincial Social Insurance agency to purchase and donate them.

Thuan Chau District Health Center is one of the units actively involved in fundraising to support the purchase of health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances. Mr. Quang Van Chau, Director of the Center, said: Immediately after receiving the open letter, 229 officials and employees of the Center and health stations donated more than 86 million VND; many of them donated two health insurance cards each for people in difficult circumstances, vulnerable groups, and those who did not yet have health insurance cards, to help them receive the best possible healthcare.

The donation campaign to purchase health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances has also been actively supported by the provincial departments and agencies. Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc, Chief of the Office of the Provincial People's Court, said: The unit has launched a campaign for officials and employees of the Provincial People's Court and the districts and cities to support the purchase of 210 health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances, with a total amount of nearly 80 million VND. Of which, the Chief Justice of the Provincial People's Court alone donated 50 health insurance cards.

As the unit directly advising the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in the province, the Provincial Social Insurance agency has established and maintained the "Health Insurance Card Donation Savings Fund". At the same time, it has directed the Social Insurance agencies in the districts to advise local Party committees and authorities to issue documents calling on organizations, individuals, and businesses to participate in supporting the purchase and donation of health insurance cards to people in difficult circumstances in the area.

Mr. Dinh Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Provincial Social Insurance Agency, said: "With the spirit of mutual support and sharing risks between the healthy and the sick, between the young and the old, and between those with high incomes and those with low incomes, the Provincial Social Insurance Agency has launched a campaign for each official and employee to contribute at least 50,000 VND per month to the 'Savings Fund for Health Insurance Cards'. In addition, we have directed specialized departments to actively encourage agencies, units, organizations, individuals, and businesses to contribute to purchasing health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances."

Following a two-month response to the open letter from the Provincial People's Committee, 60 agencies and units across the province have donated 620 million VND, which has been transferred to the Provincial Social Insurance agency to purchase health insurance cards for disadvantaged people who do not receive state budget support. Among the units that made significant contributions were the Thuan Chau District Health Center; the Provincial People's Court; Son La College; the Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital; and the Provincial Social Insurance agency. Currently, the Provincial Social Insurance agency is coordinating with relevant departments, agencies, and districts and cities to advise the Provincial People's Committee on allocating the donated funds for purchasing health insurance cards for disadvantaged people. Priority will be given to communes striving to meet the criteria for achieving new rural standards and to disadvantaged individuals who do not receive state or provincial budget support for health insurance.

The movement to purchase health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances has been actively supported by Party committees, governments at all levels, and agencies, units, and businesses in the province, contributing to achieving the health insurance coverage target and moving towards universal health insurance, so that everyone can be protected and cared for in terms of health, reducing the financial burden when they unfortunately fall ill, suffer from diseases, or accidents.

Source: Son La Newspaper