Current Health Insurance Contribution Rates for Students in Vietnam

Are students in Vietnam subject to health insurance contribution?

Based on Article 12 of the 2008 Health Insurance Law (amended by Clause 6, Article 1 of the 2014 Amended Health Insurance Law), the provisions on subjects required to participate in health insurance are as follows:

Subjects Required to Participate in Health Insurance

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

a) People from near-poor households;

b) Students.

5. Group participating in health insurance following household groups includes people from households, excluding the subjects stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this Article.

6. The Government of Vietnam particularly regulates other groups outside those specified in Clauses 3, 4, and 5 of this Article; providing regulations for issuing health insurance cards for subjects managed by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security, and subjects stipulated in Point 1, Clause 3, Article 1; specifying the roadmap to implement health insurance, range of benefits, entitlements to health insurance, health insurance examination, and treatment, management and use of funds reserved for health insurance examination and treatment, health insurance assessment, payment, and settlement for the subjects stipulated in Point a, Clause 3 of this Article.

Thus, students are subject to compulsory health insurance participation.

Current Health Insurance Contribution Rates for Students in Vietnam​ (Image from the Internet)

What is the current health insurance contribution for students in Vietnam?

Based on Point d, Clause 1, Article 7 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP:

Health Insurance Contribution Rates and Responsibilities

1. The monthly health insurance contribution rates for different subjects are as follows:

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b) 4.5% of the retirement salary or loss of working capacity allowance for subjects specified in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decree;

c) 4.5% of the monthly salary of workers before maternity leave for the subjects specified in Clause 5, Article 2 of this Decree;

d) 4.5% of the unemployment allowance for the subjects specified in Clause 6, Article 2 of this Decree;

dd) 4.5% of the statutory pay rate for other subjects;

e) The health insurance contribution of the subjects specified in Article 5 of this Decree is as follows: the first member contributes 4.5% of the statutory pay rate; the second, third, and fourth members contribute 70%, 60%, and 50% of the contribution of the first member, respectively; from the fifth member onwards, the contribution is 40% of the contribution of the first member.

The reduction in health insurance contribution according to this Point is applied when members of the same household participate in health insurance in the same financial year.

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Based on Point c, Clause 1, Article 8 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP:

Government Budget Support Contribution Rates

1. From the effective date of this Decree, the state budget support contribution rates for certain groups are as follows:

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c) Minimum 30% support of the health insurance contribution for the subjects specified in Clauses 3 and 4, Article 4 of this Decree.

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As specified in Clause 3, Article 4 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP:

Group Receiving State Budget Support Contribution

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3. Students.

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Thus, the current health insurance contribution for students is 4.5% of the statutory pay rate. The state provides a minimum support of 30% of the health insurance contribution. A higher support rate for health insurance contributions is decided by Provincial or City People's Committees based on the local budget capability and other legal funding sources, as proposed by the Provincial or City People's Councils.

Currently, the statutory pay rate from July 01, 2024, is 2,340,000 VND/month (Clause 2, Article 3 of Decree 73/2024/ND-CP).

Cases Not Covered by Student Health Insurance in Vietnam

Based on Article 23 of the 2008 Health Insurance Law (amended by Clause 16, Article 1 of the 2014 Amended Health Insurance Law), the cases not covered by student health insurance include:

- Costs in the cases stipulated in Clause 1, Article 21 of the 2008 Health Insurance Law have already been covered by the state budget.

- Convalescence, recovery at convalescence facilities.

- Health check-ups.

- Tests, pregnancy diagnoses not intended for treatment.

- Use of assisted reproductive technology, family planning services, abortion, except for cases requiring termination of pregnancy due to pathology of the fetus or pregnant woman.

- Use of cosmetic services.

- Treatment of strabismus, myopia, and refractive errors of the eye.

- Use of medical devices including prosthetic limbs, prosthetic eyes, dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, mobility aids in medical examination, treatment, and rehabilitation.

- Medical examination, treatment, and rehabilitation in disaster situations.

- Medical examination, treatment for drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or other addictions.

- Medical expertise, forensic expertise, mental forensic expertise.

- Participation in clinical trials, scientific research.