Vietnam to issue e-health insurance cards this year

The current paper health insurance cards will be replaced by new e-cards later in 2018.

According to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), when people with e-cards visit health facilities for examinations and treatment or visit relevant agencies to solve their social insurance interests, their information can be clearly displayed by using card reader chips.

For the e-health insurance cards, in cases where users have not received their cards but their information is available on the system, the cardholders can undergo their medical examinations and treatment normally. Medical establishments only need to enter the card code, and the name and date of birth of cardholders and the system will verify whether the card is valid or not.

People can also look up the benefits of cardholders on the system, even look up the medical examination history if the cardholders have undergone examinations and treatment on the portal of the insurance sector. It is expected to help boost supervision and avoid fraudulent activities in medical examinations and treatment under the health insurance policy.

The issuance of the cards has been facilitated by the Prime Minister’s direction on the grant, management and use of electronic health insurance cards.

Regarding a proposal from the Government Office on solutions to apply IT to simplify regulations and administrative procedures in issuing, managing, and using health insurance cards, as well as managing medical examinations and treatment under the health insurance policy, the Prime Minister assigns the VSS to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned agencies in drafting a Prime Minister’s decision on the grant, management, and use of electronic health insurance cards.

Accordingly, the e-health insurance cards need to be affixed with Vietnam-owned technological solutions, while ensuring connectivity, interconnection, secure integration, and data sharing with databases of concerned ministries, branches, and localities./.

NDO