Thursday, 09:11 17/03/2016
Measures required to raise health insurance coverage for the elderly
Speaking at a conference of the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing in Hanoi on March 15, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam required relevant ministries and agencies to implement measures to raise health and social insurance coverage for the elderly to the country’s average.
Addressing the conference, the Deputy Prime Minister (PM) asked the Vietnam Elderly Association, Vietnam Social Insurance and the health sector in coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Associations of Farmers and Women to set up a specific programme to be deployed in 2016.
Deputy PM Dam said that up to 4 million out of over 10 million elderly people in Vietnam, accounting for 10.9% of the population, have no access to health insurance.
In addition, around 2.85 million old people get retirement pensions and social insurance allowances. More than 1.5 million receive monthly social allowances. Nearly 566,000 others have been provided with free eye check-ups and treatment.
The official instructed the Health Ministry to promptly issue documents guiding health care for the elderly in cities and provinces nationwide.
According to the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing, 2015 was the first year that Vietnam has organised the month to act for the elderly.
In the month, the country provided free medicine to nearly 900,000 elderly people with the value at nearly 49 billion VND, built 64 houses of compassion, presented more than 253,000 gifts to lonely elderly people (worth over 78 billion VND), contributing actively to the implementation of social welfare policies for the elderly.
In 2015, many cities and provinces actively actualised the Law on the Elderly and policies on the group.
During the conference, the committee proposed the Government consider providing monthly social allowances for the elderly belonging to poor households and aged between 60 and 79, persons aged 75 or older in ethnic minority groups and extremely disadvantaged areas.
Deputy PM Dam said that up to 4 million out of over 10 million elderly people in Vietnam, accounting for 10.9% of the population, have no access to health insurance.
In addition, around 2.85 million old people get retirement pensions and social insurance allowances. More than 1.5 million receive monthly social allowances. Nearly 566,000 others have been provided with free eye check-ups and treatment.
The official instructed the Health Ministry to promptly issue documents guiding health care for the elderly in cities and provinces nationwide.
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In the month, the country provided free medicine to nearly 900,000 elderly people with the value at nearly 49 billion VND, built 64 houses of compassion, presented more than 253,000 gifts to lonely elderly people (worth over 78 billion VND), contributing actively to the implementation of social welfare policies for the elderly.
In 2015, many cities and provinces actively actualised the Law on the Elderly and policies on the group.
During the conference, the committee proposed the Government consider providing monthly social allowances for the elderly belonging to poor households and aged between 60 and 79, persons aged 75 or older in ethnic minority groups and extremely disadvantaged areas.
