The Steering Committee for Social Insurance and Health Insurance of Hai Phong City recently released a report reviewing its first year of operation following the implementation of the two-level local government model. With the determined involvement of the entire political system, the city's social security efforts have achieved impressive results, affirming the pillar role of insurance policies in stabilizing people's lives.
Institutional Consolidation and Humanistic Policy Impacts
Following the reorganization of administrative units into 114 communes, wards, and special zones, the organizational apparatus was quickly stabilized. On August 6, 2025, the Chairman of the City People’s Committee issued a Decision to consolidate the City-level Steering Committee, led by the Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee. To date, 100% of the 114 commune-level administrative units have completed the review and consolidation of their respective Steering Committees and specific operational regulations.
A notable achievement over the past year was the advisory role in issuing four important City People’s Council resolutions to support insurance contributions for vulnerable groups. A prime example is Resolution No. 56/2025/NQ-HĐND, which provides additional support for the poor, residents in special zones, and ethnic minorities participating in voluntary social insurance for the 2026–2030 period. These specific policies have significantly contributed to expanding the city's social security coverage.
Positive Results in Revenue and Participant Development
Despite challenges from economic fluctuations and natural disasters, Hai Phong's social and health insurance indicators have met and exceeded targets. In 2025, the total revenue for social, health, and unemployment insurance (BHTN) reached over 30,918 billion VND, or 106.4% of the assigned plan. The health insurance coverage rate reached 95.25% of the population, surpassing the given target.
Growth momentum continued into the first five months of 2026, with total revenue reaching 13,420 billion VND, 3.4% higher than the Vietnam Social Security's May 2026 plan. The number of compulsory social insurance participants increased by more than 28,000 compared to 2025. Remarkably, the health insurance participation rate for students in the 2025–2026 school year reached a near-absolute 99.91%. Monthly pension and subsidy payments were executed safely, accurately, and timely via post offices and personal accounts.
Advancing Digital Transformation and Inter-sectoral Coordination
Hai Phong has made significant progress in implementing the Government's Project 06 by linking birth registration data with health insurance card issuance for children under six years old. Currently, the city is gradually replacing paper health insurance cards with citizen ID cards for medical visits and promoting cashless payments.
Coordination among Steering Committee members has strengthened. The City Police have proactively prevented fraudulent acts and urged the recovery of social insurance debts. Meanwhile, the health sector focuses on controlling medical costs, preventing fund abuse, and improving service quality. Inspection activities were also enhanced, with hundreds of units reviewed, leading to the collection of billions of VND in violations and requirements to rectify late payments.
Key Tasks for the Second Half of 2026
Alongside these achievements, the Steering Committee candidly pointed out existing issues, such as persistent late or evaded payments at some enterprises and insurance-based wages being lower than actual salaries. To address these, the Committee set specific targets for the end of 2026:
- Health insurance coverage: At least 95.5% of the population.
- Social insurance participation: At least 56.8% of the labor force (comprising 50.6% compulsory and 6.2% voluntary).
- Unemployment insurance participation: 49% of the working-age population.
To realize these goals, the city will assign participant development targets to each commune, ward, and special zone. Regular communication tailored to specific groups will be conducted to raise awareness of social security benefits. Additionally, the city will continue researching increased budget support for vulnerable groups, specifically proposing up to 100% health insurance contribution support for people with mild disabilities and local security forces. With clear roadmaps and high determination, the Steering Committee is striving to make social security a solid support for all citizens in the port city.