Electronic health insurance cards are likely to be introduced in mid-2019, said an official of the HCMC Social Insurance Agency at a dialogue on social insurance policy between municipal authorities and enterprises last week.

Nguyen Thi Thu (C), deputy director of the HCMC Social Insurance Agency, speaks at the dialogue on social insurance policy 

A business representative underlined the need to enhance the quality of the current health insurance cards, as they are made of paper, which is thin and tears easily. Moreover, these cards are no longer reissued each year, making it difficult for workers to preserve them over the long term.

Nguyen Thi Thu, deputy director of the HCMC Social Insurance Agency, said the local insurance sector plans to introduce health insurance e-cards by integrating social insurance books and paper-based health insurance cards.

She added that workers will continue using paper-based cards until the middle of next year, but they will likely switch to e-cards after that.

Regarding mandatory social insurance for foreign workers, Nguyen Quoc Thanh from the HCMC Social Insurance Agency cited Article 2 of the Social Insurance Law as saying that foreign workers in Vietnam who have obtained work permits or employment certificates from the country’s competent agencies are, by law, subject to the regime. The regulation has been in force since January 1.

Thanh said the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs is working with the relevant ministries and agencies to formulate a draft decree that regulates the provision of compulsory social insurance for foreign workers. The insurance premium payment will be made after the decree goes into effect.

SGT