On June 18, 2026, the Hai Phong City People's Committee issued Plan No. 221/KH-UBND regarding the implementation of universal health insurance (HI) in the new period. This is a crucial task to substantialize directives from the Central Government and the City Party Committee, aiming to build a sustainable and substantive social security system, ensuring that all city residents receive the best possible healthcare.
Breakthrough Objectives in Coverage and Quality
The plan sets a very specific development roadmap for each stage. Hai Phong strives for the HI participation rate to reach over 95.5% of the population by the end of 2026. Looking toward 2030, the city is determined to complete the goal of universal HI while minimizing the gap in participation rates between different target groups and localities across the entire city.
Beyond mere coverage figures, Hai Phong also focuses on service "quality". The city aims to improve the quality of HI-based medical examination and treatment at all levels, enhancing access to high-quality medical services and increasing people's satisfaction. The HI Fund will be managed and used in a safe, effective, and sustainable manner, associated with cost control and the prevention of profiteering.
Linking Leadership Responsibility and Innovative Communication
One of the breakthrough new features of this plan is linking HI participation development targets with the annual socio-economic development tasks of localities. The results of implementing these targets will be an important basis for evaluating the performance of the heads of those local governments.
Alongside leadership efforts, the city will strongly innovate communication content and methods. Propaganda work will be designed to be "focused and targeted," suitable for specific groups such as freelance workers, households, and those newly escaped from poverty, to create a strong shift in awareness, helping people identify participating in HI as both a right and a responsibility for every individual.
Promoting Financial Support and Enhancing Medical Services
To ensure no one is left behind, Hai Phong will continue to review and adjust mechanisms and policies to provide additional support for HI premiums from the city budget. Policy beneficiaries, the poor, the near-poor, and vulnerable groups will continue to receive special attention. Notably, the city will research and pilot supplementary HI packages based on the needs of the people.
Regarding the healthcare system, medical facilities are required to innovate their service styles, enhance medical ethics, and increase investment in equipment. Hai Phong will step by step implement patient flow management, reducing the treatment of mild illnesses at specialized levels to focus resources on complex cases. The city is also researching mechanisms to allow patients to be discharged on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for the people's convenience.
Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Breakthroughs
In the 2026–2030 period, digital transformation is identified as a strategic lever. Hai Phong will promote the application of information technology, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HI management. These tools will assist in cost assessment, trend forecasting, and controlling drug prescriptions and technical service orders to prevent fund waste.
The city will comprehensively deploy electronic medical records, electronic health records, and data linkage between hospitals and social insurance agencies. The use of chip-based citizen ID cards, the VNeID application, and electronic authentication methods will be prioritized to provide maximum convenience for people during medical visits.
Resolute Implementation
The City People's Committee assigned the Department of Health to lead, coordinating with the City Social Insurance and relevant units to monitor and urge implementation progress. Departments and sectors such as the Department of Finance, the City Police, and the Department of Education and Training are all assigned specific tasks according to their functions to ensure synchronicity.
Implementation funding will be mobilized from various sources: the state budget, the HI Fund, sponsorships, and socialization. With the involvement of the entire political system, Hai Phong is confident it will soon achieve the goal of universal HI, contributing significantly to the cause of caring for and protecting the health of the Port City's residents in the new period.