What is the validity period of health insurance cards of students in Vietnam?

What is the validity period of health insurance cards of students in Vietnam? (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Are students eligible to have health insurance contributions supported by the state budget in Vietnam?

According to Article 4 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP, the group of health insurance policyholders whose contributions are supported by the state budget includes:

- Members of near-poor family households defined according to the near-poor criteria under regulations of the Government and the Prime Minister.

- Members of multidimensional-poverty family households falling into the cases specified in point a, clause 9, Article 3 Article 4 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP.

- Pupils and students.

- Members of family households doing business in the agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and salt industry who earn an average income in accordance with regulations of the Government and the Prime Minister.

Thus, according to the above regulations, students belong in the group of health insurance policyholders whose contributions are supported by the state budget.

2. What is the validity period of health insurance cards of students in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 7, Article 13 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP, the validity period of health insurance cards of students is as follows:

- Health insurance cards shall be annually issued to students at general education institutions, including the following cases:

+ As regards 1st - grade pupils, each health insurance card shall be valid from the 1st day of October of the first year of elementary education;

+ As regards12th - grade students, each health insurance card shall be valid till the end of September 30 of that school year.

- Each health insurance card shall be annually issued to pupils and students at higher education establishments and vocational training facilities, including the following cases:

+ As regards first-year students of academic programs, each health insurance card shall be valid from the first date of the academic year, except the case in which 12th - grade students hold their health insurance cards remaining valid;

+ As regards last-year students of academic programs, each health insurance card shall be valid till the last date of the final month of each academic program.

3. Method for paying health insurance contributions for pupils and students in Vietnam

According to Clause 5 of Article 9 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP stipulates the method of paying health insurance for pupils and students as follows:

- On a periodic basis, every 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, pupils and students, or parents or guardians thereof, shall be responsible for paying health insurance contributions on their part as prescribed in clause 2 of Article 10 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP to social insurance agencies;

- The state budget shall give support as follows:

+ Health insurance contributions of pupils and students studying at educational institutions or vocational training establishments affiliated to ministries and central bodies shall be supported by the central budget.

On a periodic basis, every 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, provincial-level Social Insurance agencies shall make general reports on the number of health insurance cards which have already been issued, contribution amounts collected from pupils and students and contribution amounts supported by the state budget by using the Form No. 1 of the Appendix to Decree 146/2018/ND-CP and send them to the Vietnam Social Security so that the Vietnam Social Security prepares a consolidated report for submission to the Ministry of Finance in order to transfer the state budget’s support amounts to the health insurance package in accordance with clause 9 of Article 9 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP.

+ Health insurance contributions of pupils and students studying at educational institutions or other vocational training establishments shall be supported by the budget of the local jurisdictions where these educational entities are located, irrespective of registered permanent residences of pupils and students, including the central budget allocations (if any).

On a periodic basis, every 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, social insurance agencies shall make general reports on the number of health insurance cards which have already been issued, contribution amounts collected from pupils and students and contribution amounts supported by the state budget by using the Form No. 1 of the Appendix to Decree 146/2018/ND-CP and send them to the financial authority in order to transfer state budget expenditures used for supporting health insurance contributions to the health insurance package in accordance with clause 9 of Article 9 of Decree 146/2018/ND-CP.

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE