USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock (second, left) and Vietnam Social Insurance Security Deputy General Director Pham Luong Son (second, right) signed a memorandum of understanding on supporting health insurance (Photo courtesy of US Embassy) Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and the UnitedStates Agency for International Development (USAID) and on signed a Memorandumof Understanding (MoU) on supporting health insurance implementation onNovember 6.
The USAID local system sustainability project will provide technical assistanceto the VSS to improve its Social Health Insurance (SHI) implementation for thenext four years.
The project will also support Vietnam’s transition to full financial ownershipof its HIV and tuberculosis responses.
The assistance will focus on three key areas, namely SHI policy implementation,management of SHI drugs and medical supplies, and exchange of information onhealth insurance policies, application of health technology and social healthinformation systems.
Speaking at the signing ceremony VSS Deputy General Director Pham Luong Son saidthe MoU between the VSS and USAID is the first document officially signedbetween the two agencies.
It was also a significant event on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of theestablishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US and the 25thanniversary of the establishment of the VSS (1995-2020).
The signing of the MoU opened a new phase of cooperation between the VSS andUSAID, deepening the partnership through a series of technical assistanceactivities.
He expressed his belief that with the continuous efforts of the VSS and thevaluable and effective assistance from international organisations such asUSAID, the VSS will soon build a modern, sustainable and effective healthinsurance system, meeting people's satisfaction.
The VSS strives to realise the target of having 95 percent of the populationcovered by health insurance by 2025 and satisfaction rate of people will be upto 80 percent as required by the Government, he said.
USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock highly valued the closepartnership between USAIDS and the VSS, and said USAIDS will continue to worktogether to strengthen the governance and financial management capacity of the VSSto manage SHI funds effectively, efficiently, equitably, and with accountability.
She said the MoU signing reinforced USAID’s commitment to support Vietnam’sefforts in its journey to self-reliance towards achieving strong, sustainablehealth systems as a means to support access to universal health coverage.
Over the past five years, USAID has worked closely with Vietnamese Governmentagencies, including the VSS, to include coverage of HIV treatment services andantiretroviral (ARV) drugs in the SHI scheme.
This considerable effort included updating over 20 policies to allow expansionof SHI to cover HIV treatment and ARVs, and transitioning 440 stand-alone HIVclinics into the national public health system so they can get reimbursed forproviding HIV services.
As a result, over 90 percent of persons living with HIV nationwide are nowenrolled and use SHI-covered HIV services. This year, SHI is set to procureARVs for more than two-thirds of all HIV patients nationwide./.
VNA
