Students could receive a minimum health insurance subsidy of 70 percent, near-poor households 80 percent, and select vulnerable groups up to 100 percent under a new draft decree released by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health has proposed extending the period of state budget support covering at least 70 percent of health insurance premiums from 36 months to 72 months for select groups whose residential areas no longer qualify as difficult or extremely difficult socio-economic zones.
This is a key highlight in the draft decree amending and supplementing several articles of Government Decree No. 188/2025/ND-CP dated July 1, 2025, which details and guides the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance. Currently open for public feedback, the draft proposes amendments to 21 clauses across 15 articles, focusing on resolving practical bottlenecks, simplifying procedures, and leveraging digital data.
According to the proposal, the extension policy applies to groups specified in Point 4, Article 12 of the Law on Health Insurance whose communes are no longer classified as socio-economically difficult or extremely difficult areas.
Notably, the draft proposes raising State budget health insurance subsidies across five groups, targeted to take effect on April 1, 2027. Specifically, support for students is slated to rise from the current minimum of 50 percent to 70 percent of premiums; near-poor household members from a minimum of 70 percent to 80 percent; and mildly disabled individuals from near-poor households would receive a 100 percent subsidy.
People from households with average living standards are proposed to receive a minimum subsidy increase from 30 percent to 50 percent of health insurance premiums. Individuals cared for at charitable and religious organizations and centers are also proposed to receive a minimum support rate of 50 percent.
Compared with existing policies, the draft focuses on increasing support for vulnerable individuals and certain groups covered under household-based health insurance, while adding mildly disabled near-poor individuals to the fully subsidized category.
Beyond premium subsidies, the draft proposes streamlining health insurance card issuance by utilizing information from the National Population Database and specialized databases, reducing requirements for citizens to submit paper documents already stored in system databases.
The draft further proposes establishing an independent professional and economic review council to participate in compiling lists of medicines, medical devices, and technical services covered by the Health Insurance Fund. This mechanism aims to add technical and economic evidence when evaluating coverage lists, contributing to greater objectivity and efficiency in managing the Health Insurance Fund.
By early September, approximately 98.3 million people nationwide were enrolled in health insurance, bringing coverage to an estimated 95 percent of the population.
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