2026-07-01http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/412285This case study is aimed at providing a descriptive assessment of the key features of Vietnam's Social Health Insurance (SHI), focusing on the impediments to integrating the poor into universal coverage. The trajectory of SHI in Vietnam is similar to that of many other countries in the East Asia and Pacific region. The poor were covered under a separate Health Care Fund for the Poor to begin with. The 2009 Law on Health Insurance merged all of the different programs into one. Health insurance premiums for the poor were fully subsidized by the government and enrolment became mandatory, resulting in almost complete enrollment of the poor by 2011. Vietnam has combined elements of contributory social health insurance with substantial levels of tax financing to provide coverage for the poor and informal sector. The case study is structured as follows. Section 2 describes the institutional structure and system characteristics of Vietnam's SHI. Section 3 addresses the main topic of the case study - the impediments to integrating the poor. Section 4 concludes by addressing the pending agenda.application/pdftext/plainCC BY 3.0 IGOhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igoWorld Bankability to payabuseaccess to health careaccess to hospitalaccess to servicesAdult mortalityAdult mortality rateadverse selectionagedambulatory careCapitationcapitation paymentcapitation systemcertificationchild deliverychild healthClinical laboratoryclinicsCommunicable diseasescontraceptionContraceptive prevalencecontribution ratecost controlcost-effectivenessdelivery systemDental careDependency ratiodeveloping countriesdiagnosisDiagnostic AssessmentDialysisdoctorsdrug listdrugseconomic growthEconomic ReviewelderlyEmergency servicesenrolleesequity in accessfee scheduleFee-for-servicefee-for-service basisFee-for-service paymentfertilityfertility ratefinancial barriersfinancial protectionfinancial risksgeneral practitionersgovernment agenciesgross domestic productGynecologyhealth careHealth Care Programhealth care providershealth care systemHealth CoverageHealth EconomicsHealth Expenditurehealth expenditureshealth facilitieshealth financinghealth financing systemHealth Insurancehealth insurance fundshealth insurance programhealth insurance schemesHealth Organizationhealth outcomeshealth policyhealth riskshealth sectorhealth serviceshealth spendinghealth statusHealth StrategyHealth SystemHealth System Financinghealth systemsHealth Systems Strengtheninghealthcarehealthcare serviceshospital autonomyhospital bedshospital carehospital revenuesHospital Serviceshospitalsill healthillnessesimmunizationincentives for providersincidence analysisincomeincome countriesincome elasticityIncome inequalityIndexesinequitiesInfantInfant mortalityInfant mortality rateInfant mortality ratesinfection ratesinformal paymentsinformal sectorinpatient careinsurance packageinsurance premiuminsurance premiumsinsurance systeminsurersIntegrationlabor forceLife expectancyLife expectancy at birthlive birthslocal governmentsmarket economyMaternal mortalityMaternal mortality ratemedical caremedical care costsmedical educationmedical equipmentMedicinesmidwivesMinistry of HealthminoritymorbiditymortalityNational Healthnational health insurancenational health insurance fundNational Health SystemNeonatal mortalitynormal deliveriesnursesnursingnursing carenursing homesNutritionoutpatient servicespatientspayments for health carePhysicianPhysicianspocket paymentspolicy changePolicy Documentpolicy formulationpopulation densitypopulation groupspopulous countriespregnant womenprenatal careprescriptionspreventive careprice controlsprimary careprivate hospital sectorprivate pharmaciesprivate sectorprobabilityprogressprovider paymentprovincial hospitalprovincial hospitalsprovision of carepublic healthPublic health expenditurepublic health infrastructurePublic health servicesPublic Health SystemPublic hospitalpublic hospitalspublic providersPublic Provisionpublic sectorquality of healthquality of health carequality of servicesquality servicesreferralsrehabilitationresearch institutionsresource allocationrespectrural areasrural populationsanitationsanitation facilitiesschool childrenservice deliveryservice providerservice providersSkilled birth attendanceSocial AffairsSocial Health Insurancesocial mobilizationSocial Securitytechnical capacitytertiary levelsTuberculosisunder-five mortalityuniversal accessUniversal Health Insurance Coverageurban developmenturbanizationuser feesvillage health workersvisitsvulnerable groupswomanworkersworking-age population