Students entering the new school year will receive support for at least 50% of their health insurance premiums.

(Dan Tri) - The new school year 2025-2026 begins, more than 20 million students will officially enjoy the policy of supporting at least 50% of health insurance premiums from the state budget.

This is an important new point stipulated in Decree No. 188/2025/ND-CP of the Government , effective from July 1.

More than 20.5 million students benefit from the policy

According to Decree No. 188/2025/ND-CP, students are supported by the state budget with at least 50% of the health insurance premium.

Thanks to that, in the new school year, each student only has to pay a maximum of about 631,800 VND/year, saving an additional 252,720 VND/year compared to the previous school year.

Statistics from Vietnam Social Security show that the whole country has about 20.5 million students eligible to participate (not including children of soldiers and police who are given free health insurance cards).

Each student saves an additional 252,720 VND/year in health insurance costs (Photo: Social Insurance).

This means that in the new school year, about 20.5 million students nationwide will receive state budget support for half of their health insurance premiums.

According to experts, the policy of increasing the level of health insurance support for students to at least 50% is considered a breakthrough in achieving the goal of universal health insurance coverage, while affirming the deep concern of the Party and State for education , health care for the young generation and ensuring social security.

The far-reaching impact of raising the minimum support level to 50%

Deputy Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen Duc Hoa assessed that the Law on Health Insurance 2024 and Decree 188/2025/ND-CP of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law have added many important contents, aiming to expand benefits, increase support levels and simplify procedures for health insurance participants, including students.

The Government's decision to increase the minimum support level to 50% of health insurance premiums for students will not only help reduce the financial burden on parents, but will also have far-reaching impacts.

Firstly, it contributes to increasing the rate of health insurance participation in schools, soon completing the goal of 100% of students participating. When a large number of young and healthy people participate, the Health Insurance Fund is more sustainably consolidated, properly implementing the principle of risk sharing between young people and the elderly.

The minimum health insurance support level of 50% for students is considered a breakthrough in achieving the goal of universal health insurance coverage (Photo: Dan Tri).

Second, ensuring equitable access to health care. All students, regardless of family circumstances, have the right to health care and timely medical examination and treatment. This gives parents peace of mind and helps children confidently study, play, and exercise.

Third, the policy is an investment in the nation's future. A healthy generation of young people, both physically and mentally, will become a solid foundation for the country's sustainable development in the coming decades.

At the online conference to implement Decree 188/2025/ND-CP organized by Vietnam Social Security, Mr. Duong Tuan Duc, Head of the Department of Health Insurance Policy Implementation, Vietnam Social Security emphasized that the notable point in Decree 188/2025/ND-CP is the phrase "at least 50%".

This opens up the possibility that localities, depending on their budget conditions, can decide on higher levels of support. Some provinces and cities have been studying policies to provide additional support from local budgets, education promotion funds, or socialized sources to minimize parents' contributions.

According to Mr. Duong Tuan Duc, the cooperation of local authorities and schools is very meaningful. If the locality provides more support, the burden on parents will be reduced, and the rate of health insurance coverage in schools will quickly reach the target.

At the same time, experts also recommend that parents should choose the 12-month health insurance payment method to ensure continuous benefits, avoiding the risk of forgetting to pay. In many cases, paying for 3 or 6 months, when the renewal deadline comes and they forget to pay, if they unfortunately need to see a doctor, they will not be entitled to benefits.

Over the years, the compulsory health insurance policy for students has proven its practical value. In the 2024-2025 school year, more than 20.8 million students nationwide will participate, reaching a rate of 98.4%, an increase of nearly 1% compared to the previous school year.

In the first 6 months of 2025 alone, the Health Insurance Fund paid more than VND 2,075 billion for 4.3 million students to receive medical examination and treatment, an increase of 17% and 7.4% respectively over the same period in 2024.

However, the previous 30% support level is still a burden for a part of families, especially poor and near-poor households, low-income workers or families with many children.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/hoc-sinh-sinh-vien-vao-nam-hoc-moi-duoc-ho-tro-toi-thieu-50-muc-dong-bhyt-20250904160109679.htm