What is a health insurance card? Benefits of participating in health insurance, types of health insurance cards (based on symbols on health insurance cards) and validity period of health insurance cards.
What is a health insurance card?
Health insurance card (HI) is a type of card issued to health insurance participants, as a basis for enjoying medical examination and treatment benefits (KCB) according to the provisions of Article 16 of the Law on Health Insurance 2008.
Currently, health insurance cards are issued to participants in two formats: physical cards (paper cards) and electronic cards. The health insurance card shows information such as card number, full name, date of birth, gender, address, place of initial health care registration, benefit level code and place of residence.
You may be interested in:
>> Symbols on health insurance card;
>> Regulations on electronic health insurance cards.
Benefits of participating in health insurance
When participating in health insurance, participants enjoy the following benefits and rights:
- Choose a medical facility for medical examination and treatment: Health insurance participants can choose a convenient medical facility near their workplace or residence to register for initial medical examination and treatment;
- Health insurance fund covers medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of benefits: Depending on each subject and treatment situation, health insurance participants will be completely or partially exempted from these costs at public medical facilities.
Note: At the beginning of each quarter, individuals are allowed to change their health insurance registration location.
See also:
>> Health insurance benefits;
>> Procedures for transferring initial medical examination and treatment facility;
>> Cases eligible for 100% health insurance.
Types of health insurance cards – classified based on symbols on health insurance cards
You can identify your health insurance coverage based on the first two characters (first box) in letters on your health insurance card.
In case you participate in health insurance but belong to many different subjects, the subject code written on the health insurance card is the code of the first subject (stipulated in Clause 7, Article 1 of the Law amending and supplementing the Law on Health Insurance).
Health insurance participants are divided into 5 groups as follows:
➨ Group contributed by employees and employers
| Symbol | Applicable objects |
| DN | Employees working in enterprises established and operating under the Enterprise Law and Investment Law. |
| HX | Employees working in cooperatives and cooperative unions established and operating under the Law on Cooperatives. |
| CH | Employees working in state agencies, public service units, the armed forces, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-professional organizations, socio-political-professional organizations and other social organizations. |
| NN | Employees working in foreign agencies, organizations or international organizations in Vietnam, unless otherwise provided by international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member. |
| TK | Employees working in other organizations (established and operating in accordance with the provisions of law) that employ workers. |
| HC | Officials and civil servants according to regulations. |
| XK | Non-professional workers in communes, wards and towns according to regulations. |
➨ Groups paid by social insurance agencies and organizations
| Symbol | Applicable objects |
| HT | Recipients of monthly pension and disability benefits. |
| TB | People who are receiving monthly social insurance benefits due to occupational accidents and diseases. |
| NO | Employees on sick leave are entitled to sick leave benefits according to regulations. |
| CT | People aged 80 and over are receiving monthly pension benefits. |
| XB | Retired commune, ward and town officials are receiving monthly social insurance benefits. |
| TN | People receiving unemployment benefits according to regulations. |
| CS | Retired rubber workers are receiving monthly benefits according to Government Decision 206/CP. |
➨ Group funded by the state budget
| Symbol | Applicable objects |
| QN |
|
| THAT | Officers, technical non-commissioned officers and professional officers, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, conscripts working in the People’s Public Security Forces, and People’s Public Security students receive living expenses from the State budget. |
| EN | People working in cryptography receive the same salary as soldiers working in cryptography organizations of ministries, branches and localities. |
| XN | Retired commune, ward and town officials are receiving monthly allowances from the state budget. |
| MS | People who have stopped receiving disability benefits are receiving monthly benefits from the state budget. |
| CC | People with revolutionary contributions according to regulations. |
| CK | People with revolutionary contributions according to regulations, except for those granted CC code. |
| CB | Veterans as required. |
| KC |
|
| HD | Incumbent National Assembly and People’s Council deputies at all levels. |
| THE | Children under 6 years old, including children 72 months old who have not yet entered school that year. |
| BT | People eligible for monthly social security benefits according to regulations. |
| HN | People from poor households. |
| DT | Ethnic minorities living in areas with difficult or especially difficult socio-economic conditions. |
| DK | People living in areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions. |
| XD | People living in island districts and island communes. |
| TS |
|
| TC | Relatives of people with revolutionary contributions according to regulations. |
| TQ | Relatives of subjects are given QN code. |
| FACING | Relatives of subjects are given CA codes. |
| TY | Relatives of subjects are given CY code. |
| HG | People who have donated human organs according to regulations. |
| LS | Foreigners studying in Vietnam are granted scholarships from the Vietnamese State budget. |
| PV | People serving people with revolutionary contributions according to regulations. |
➨ Groups supported by the state budget for contribution level
| Symbol | Applicable objects |
| CN | Near poor households. |
| HS | Students are studying at educational and training institutions in the national education system. |
| SV | Students studying at educational and training institutions and vocational training institutions in the national education system. |
| GB | People in agricultural, forestry, fishery and salt-making households have an average standard of living according to the provisions of law. |
➨ Group participating in family health insurance
| Symbol | Applicable objects |
| GD | Household members, except for those in the above categories. |
>> See more: Family health insurance premiums.
How to identify health insurance benefits based on symbols on health insurance card
To know your health insurance benefit level, look at the series of characters shown on the card. In the second box (third character) from the left is marked by a number from 1 to 5, this number indicates the health insurance benefit level of the insured person. Specifically as follows:
➨ Symbol number 1
- The Health Insurance Fund will pay 100% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance payment and there will be no limit on the payment rate for certain types of chemicals, drugs, medical supplies and technical services as prescribed;
- Receive the cost of transporting patients from district level to higher level in emergency cases or inpatient treatment but need to transfer to a technical specialist level, applicable to subjects with the symbols: CC and TE.
➨ Symbol number 2
- The Health Insurance Fund will pay 100% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance payment and there will be a limit on the payment rate for certain types of chemicals, medicines, medical supplies and technical services according to regulations;
- Enjoy the cost of transporting patients from district level to higher level in emergency cases or inpatient treatment but need to transfer to technical level, applicable to subjects with the following symbols: CK, HN, CB, KC, DT, BT, TS, DK, XD.
➨ Symbol number 3
- The Health Insurance Fund will pay 95% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance payment and there will be a limit on the payment rate for certain types of chemicals, medicines, medical supplies and technical services according to regulations;
- Enjoy 100% of medical examination and treatment costs at commune level and the cost of one medical examination and treatment is lower than 15% of the basic monthly salary, applicable to subjects with symbols: HT, TC and CN.
➨ Symbol number 4
- The Health Insurance Fund will pay 80% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of Health Insurance payment, with a limit on the payment rate for certain types of chemicals, medicines, medical supplies and technical services as prescribed;
- Enjoy 100% of medical examination and treatment costs at commune level and the cost of one medical examination and treatment is lower than 15% of the basic monthly salary, applicable to subjects with the following symbols: DN, NN, HX, CH, TK, HC, XK, TB, XB, TN, CS, NO, CT, XN, MS, HD, TQ, HG, LS, PV, TA, TY, HS, SV, GB, GD.
➨ Symbol number 5
- 100% of medical examination and treatment costs are covered by the Health Insurance Fund, including medical examination and treatment costs outside the scope of health insurance benefits;
- Enjoy transportation costs, applicable to subjects with symbols QN, CA and CY.
Note:
In case an individual belongs to many health insurance participants, the health insurance benefit level recorded on that person’s health insurance card is the benefit level of the subject with the highest benefit entitlement.
Health insurance card validity period
Previously, the old health insurance card form specifically stated the card’s validity period. However, according to the guidance in Official Dispatch 3340/BHXH-ST in 2017, from August 1, 2017, the health insurance card will no longer state the expiry date but only stipulate the starting date of validity and the period of health insurance participation of 5 consecutive years or more.
Accordingly, the validity period of each person’s health insurance card is specifically determined depending on the contributor and the contribution level of that person.
Note:
Although there is no regulation on the insurance participation period, health insurance participants should still pay attention to the expiration date to renew, ensuring continuous participation so as not to lose future benefits.
Reference:
>> Health insurance benefits for 5 consecutive years;
>> Look up health insurance period.
Frequently asked questions about health insurance cards
1. What is a health insurance card?
Health insurance card (HI) is a type of card issued to health insurance participants, as a basis for enjoying medical examination and treatment benefits according to the provisions of Article 16 of the 2008 Law on Health Insurance.
2. How many groups of people are currently participating in health insurance?
Health insurance participants are divided into 5 groups as follows:
- Group 1: Paid by employees and employers;
- Group 2: Paid by social insurance agencies and organizations;
- Group 3: Funded by the state budget;
- Group 4: State budget supports the contribution level;
- Group 5: Participate in family health insurance.
You can determine which category you belong to based on the first 2 characters (first box) on your health insurance card. For details, please refer to the following link: Current types of health insurance cards.
3. What are the benefits of participating in health insurance?
When participating in health insurance, participants enjoy the following benefits and rights:
- Free to choose a medical facility for medical examination and treatment: Health insurance participants can choose a convenient medical facility near their workplace or residence to register for initial medical examination and treatment. At the beginning of each quarter, individuals can change their initial medical examination and treatment registration location;
- Health insurance fund covers medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of benefits: Depending on each subject and treatment situation, health insurance participants will be completely or partially exempted from these costs at public medical facilities.
4. What is the symbol for the employee’s health insurance card paid by the enterprise?
Employees working at enterprises whose employers pay health insurance have the code on the health insurance card as DN.
5. Which subjects does the State support health insurance premiums for?
The State supports health insurance premiums for the following subjects:
- People from near-poor households (CN);
- Students studying at educational and training institutions in the national education system (HS);
- Students studying at educational and training institutions, vocational training institutions in the national education system (SV);
- People in agricultural, forestry, fishery and salt-making households with an average standard of living as prescribed by law (GB).
Call us at 0978 578 866 (North) – 033 9962 333 (Central) – 0946 724 666 (South) for support.