Health insurance is an indispensable form of healthcare in today’s society. Depending on the type of participant, the Vietnamese government sets different values for health insurance cards. Understanding the value of your health insurance card will help you be aware of your benefits and simplify the procedures for medical examination and treatment.
1. What is a health insurance card?
A health insurance card is a type of personal insurance issued by the state for community healthcare in Vietnam. This non-profit card is organized by the state to protect the health needs of those who are responsible for participating.
2. How to read information on a health insurance card
For old health insurance cards
According to Decision 1351 of 2015, the health insurance code consists of 15 characters divided into 4 boxes.
First box: Consists of 02 characters, denoted by the code for the health insurance participant type. These include:
- DN: Employees of enterprises
- CH: Employees of state agencies, public institutions, and armed forces
- HC: Officials, civil servants, and public employees
- HT: Those receiving retirement or monthly loss-of-work allowances
- XB: Commune-level officials who are no longer working but receiving monthly social insurance allowances
- TN: Those receiving unemployment benefits
- HS: Students
- SV: University students
- TE: Children under 6 years old
To see more codes, visit the Legal Bank website.
Second box: Consists of 1 character, denoted by a number from 01 to 05, indicating the health insurance benefit level, including 100%, 95%, and 80%.
- Number 1, 2, 5: 100% of medical examination and treatment costs
- Number 3: 95% of medical examination and treatment costs
- Number 4: 80% of medical examination and treatment costs
Third box: Consists of 02 characters, denoted by a number from 01 to 99, indicating the code of the province where the health insurance card is issued.
- 01 is the code for Hanoi.
- 48 is the code for Da Nang.
- 79 is the code for Ho Chi Minh City.
- …
Fourth box: Consists of 10 characters, denoted by the individual identification number of the health insurance participant.
For new health insurance cards
On the new health insurance card, there are 2 codes that need special attention: the health insurance card code and the health insurance participant code.
Meaning of the new health insurance card code
The health insurance card code printed on each participant’s card consists of 10 numerical characters. According to Clause 1, Article 3, Decision No. 1666/QD-BHXH of the Vietnam Social Security, issued on December 3, 2020, the code is defined as follows:
“Code: print 10 characters of the social insurance code of the health insurance participant”
Thus, the new health insurance card code is the social insurance code of the participant, consisting of 10 numerical characters from 0 to 9 (previously, the old health insurance card code consisted of 15 characters divided into 4 boxes, each box indicating information about the type of participant, benefit level, province or central city where the card was issued, and social insurance code).
This is an important change that participants need to be aware of, as this code is also the most important information used when seeking medical examination and treatment with health insurance or when doing related paperwork.
Health insurance card code on the new health insurance card
On the other hand, Point 2.13, Clause 2, Article 2, Decision 595/QD-BHXH clearly states that the social insurance code is the unique individual identification number assigned by the social insurance agency and printed on the social insurance book and health insurance card. Using 10 characters of the social insurance code as the health insurance card code ensures a unique identification for the participant, making it easy for medical facilities, the social insurance agency, or the participant themselves to look up health insurance participation information associated with the card.
Meaning of the benefit level code and the code indicating where the participant lives
In addition to the health insurance card code, the new health insurance card also has 2 other special codes printed next to each other. These codes indicate the benefit level and the place where the participant lives. Specifically:
(1) Benefit level code
The benefit level code is printed with 01 character, numbered from 1 to 5, indicating the benefit level of the health insurance participant. According to Decision 1351/QD-BHXH, the meanings of these codes are as follows:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | The participant is reimbursed for 100% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance coverage and is not subject to limitations on the reimbursement ratio for certain drugs, chemicals, medical supplies, and technical services as prescribed by the Minister of Health in the list and ratio, and conditions for reimbursement of technical services; transportation costs for patients from the district level to higher levels in case of emergency or when hospitalized and needing to transfer to a higher technical level. |
| 2 | The participant is reimbursed for 100% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance coverage (with limitations on the reimbursement ratio for certain drugs, chemicals, medical supplies, and technical services as prescribed by the Minister of Health); transportation costs for patients from the district level to higher levels in case of emergency or when hospitalized and needing to transfer to a higher technical level. |
| 3 | The participant is reimbursed by the health insurance fund for 95% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance coverage; 100% of medical examination and treatment costs at the commune level and costs for a single medical examination and treatment that are lower than 15% of the basic monthly wage. |
| 4 | The participant is reimbursed by the health insurance fund for 80% of medical examination and treatment costs within the scope of health insurance coverage (with limitations on the reimbursement ratio for certain drugs, chemicals, medical supplies, and technical services as prescribed by the Minister of Health); 100% of medical examination and treatment costs at the commune level and costs for a single medical examination and treatment that are lower than 15% of the basic monthly wage. |
| 5 | The participant is reimbursed by the health insurance fund for 100% of medical examination and treatment costs, including costs outside the scope of health insurance coverage; transportation costs. |
Meaning of the benefit level codes
Benefit level code and code indicating where the participant lives
(2) Code indicating where the participant lives
The code indicating where the participant lives consists of 02 characters (K1/K2/K3) and indicates the place where the participant lives. According to Article 4, Decision No. 1351/QD-BHXH, issued on November 16, 2015, the code indicating where the participant lives consists of 02 characters, denoted by both letters and numbers:
– K1 code: the code for ethnic minorities and poor households participating in health insurance, living in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions as prescribed by law.
– K2 code: the code for ethnic minorities and poor households participating in health insurance, living in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions as prescribed by law.
– K3 code: the code for participants living in island communes or districts as prescribed by law.
3. Guide to looking up health insurance card information
Looking up health insurance card information via text message
Looking up social insurance participation period:
Send a text message with the syntax BH QT Social Insurance Code to 8079
Example: Send BH QT 0110129425 to 8079
Looking up submitted documents and document status:
Send a text message with the syntax BH HS File Code to 8079
Example: Send BH HS 04486.G/2019/08708 to 8079
Looking up social insurance participation period by year:
Send a text message with the syntax BH QT Social Insurance Code From year To year to 8079
Example: Send BH QT 0110129425 2017 2018 to 8079
Looking up social insurance participation period by time period:
Send a text message with the syntax BH QT Social Insurance Code From month – year To month – year to 8079
Example: Send BH QT 11012942 012017 022018 to 8079
Looking up the validity period of the health insurance card via text message:
Send a text message with the syntax BH THE Health Insurance Card Code to 8079
Example: Send BH THE HC4010110129425 to 8079
Note: Text messages for lookup should be in Vietnamese without accents.
Looking up health insurance card information via Website
On your phone or computer browser, visit the Vietnam Social Security website, go to the lookup section, and select “Look up health insurance card validity period” or click on the following link: https://baohiemxahoi.gov.vn/tracuu/Pages/tra-cuu-thoi-han-su-dung-the-bhyt.aspx
Fill in the information in the boxes, including: Full name, date of birth, and health insurance card code. Boxes with a * are mandatory and must be filled in.
Check the “I’m not a robot” box and follow the instructions, then click “Look up”.
The result will be displayed as follows:
The result includes: Notification, health insurance card, and benefits
4. How to find the place of initial medical examination and treatment registration
Looking up via text message
To look up, compose a text message with the following syntax:
BH THE [health insurance card code] send to 8079
Fee: 1,000 VND/message, information updated as of December 1, 2021
Example: BH THE DN4013622703639 send to 8079
Looking up on the baohiemxahoi.gov.vn website
To look up the initial medical examination and treatment facility on the website, follow these steps:
Online lookup of initial medical examination and treatment facility
Looking up health insurance card validity period
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