Are university students required to participate in health insurance in Vietnam?

Are university students required to participate in health insurance?

Pursuant to Article 4 Decree 146/2018/ND-CP (amended by points a and b, clause 2, Article 1 Decree 75/2023/ND-CP) regulating the mandatory participants of health insurance as follows:

Group receiving state budget support for premiums

1. Persons belonging to near-poor households per the near-poor standard for the period 2022-2025 as stipulated in Decree No. 07/2021/ND-CP and other documents issued by competent authorities to amend, supplement or replace the near-poor standard applicable for each period.

2. Persons belonging to multi-dimensional poor households not covered under point a, clause 9, Article 3 of this Decree.

3. Students.

4. Persons from households engaged in agricultural, forestry, fishery, and salt production with an average living standard per the standard for 2022-2025 as stipulated in Decree No. 07/2021/ND-CP and other documents issued by competent authorities to amend, supplement or replace the average living standard applicable for each period.

Simultaneously, pursuant to point a, clause 5, Article 9 Decree 146/2018/ND-CP as follows:

Payment methods of health insurance for certain subjects

...

5. For students regulated in clause 3, Article 4 of this Decree:

a) Every 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, students or their parents or guardians are responsible for paying the health insurance contributions as stipulated in clause 2, Article 10 of this Decree to the social insurance agency;

...

Based on the above regulations, university students are mandatory participants in health insurance. They are also part of the group receiving state budget support for health insurance contributions.

Additionally, every 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, students or their parents or guardians are responsible for paying the health insurance contributions to the social insurance agency.

Are university students required to participate in health insurance in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What are the regulations on support for university students to participate in health insurance in Vietnam?

According to point 4.2, clause 4, Article 17 of the Collection Procedures for Social Insurance, Health Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Accident Insurance, Occupational Disease Insurance; issuance of Social Insurance Books, and Health Insurance Cards included in Decision 595/QD-BHXH of 2017 stipulating the group of students supported by the state budget for health insurance contributions as follows:

Participants in health insurance as stipulated in Article 12 of the Law on Health Insurance and guiding documents. Specifically:

...

4. Group receiving state budget support for contributions, including:

4.1. Persons from near-poor households;

4.2. Students studying at educational institutions of the national education system, including civilian students studying at Public Security schools;

4.3. Persons from households engaged in agricultural, forestry, fishery, and salt production with an average living standard.

Simultaneously, clause 11, Article 18 of the Collection Procedures for Social Insurance, Health Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Accident Insurance, Occupational Disease Insurance; issuance of Social Insurance Books, and Health Insurance Cards included in Decision 595/QD-BHXH of 2017 stipulates the health insurance contributions for students studying at educational institutions of the national education system, including civilian students studying at Public Security schools as follows:

Contribution rates, responsibilities of health insurance contributions for subjects as stipulated in Article 13 of the Law on Health Insurance and guiding documents. Specifically:

...

11. Subjects at Point 4.2, Clause 4, Article 17: Monthly contributions equal to 4.5% of the statutory pay rate, with at least 30% of the contributions supported by the state budget.

Based on the above regulations, university students are supported with at least 30% of the health insurance contributions by the state budget.

In case university students self-fund, they are supported with monthly contributions equal to 4.5% of the statutory pay rate.

The current statutory pay rate as of July 1, 2024, is 2,340,000 VND/month (as per clause 2, Article 3 Decree 73/2024/ND-CP).

How long is the health insurance card of university students valid?

Pursuant to clause 7, Article 13 Decree 146/2018/ND-CP stipulating the validity of health insurance cards for students as follows:

- Health insurance cards are issued annually for students of primary and secondary education institutions, wherein:

- For grade 1 students: The validity starts from October 1 of the first year of primary school;

- For grade 12 students: The card is valid until the end of September 30 of that year.

- Health insurance cards are issued annually for students of higher education institutions, vocational education institutions, wherein:

+ For first-year students: The card is valid from the date of enrollment, except for cases where the grade 12 student's card is still valid;

+ For final-year students: The card is valid until the last day of the month when the course ends.

Thus, it is evident that the health insurance card of university students is as follows:

Case [1] First-year university students: The card is valid from the date of enrollment.

Case [2] Final-year students: The card is valid until the last day of the month when the course ends.

Can university students register for health insurance at their school in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 11 Decree 146/2018/ND-CP stipulating as follows:

Listing for issuance of health insurance cards for certain groups

1. Employers list the participants in health insurance for the group prescribed in Article 1 of this Decree.

2. Educational institutions, vocational training institutions are responsible for listing the participants in health insurance within their management scope as prescribed in clause 15, Article 3, clause 3, Article 4 of this Decree.

3. Units under the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security are responsible for listing the participants in health insurance within their management scope as prescribed in clause 1, Article 1, clause 13, Article 3, and Article 6 of this Decree and as guided by the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security.

4. For individuals who have donated their organs per the law, the social insurance agency shall base on the discharge papers issued by the medical facility where the organ donor undergoes surgery to issue a health insurance card.

5. The People's Committee of the commune is responsible for listing the participants prescribed in Article 2; clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 17, Article 3; clauses 1, 2, and 4, Article 4; and Article 5 of this Decree.

6. The list of health insurance participants is made according to form No. 2 and form No. 3 of the Appendix issued with this Decree.

Thus, university students can register for health insurance at their school. The educational institution is responsible for listing and sending it to the health insurance agency for registration.