Ho Chi Minh City proposes free health insurance for residents aged 60 to 65

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City proposed a resolution to provide free health insurance cards to residents aged 60 to 65 who do not currently have coverage.

The plan aims to support nearly 196,000 people living in the city who are not already covered by other state policies or employment benefits. The proposed policy would take effect on January 1, 2027.

The city expects to spend approximately 267.6 billion dong annually to cover the costs for this group, which faces high demand for medical services. In the first 10 months of the year, people in this age bracket used their insurance for 1.3 million medical visits involving conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Many of the people targeted for this support are self-employed or small-scale traders with unstable incomes, making it difficult for them to pay for insurance themselves.

Providing these cards will help them maintain their continuous participation in the insurance system. This allows them to reach the five-year continuous participation milestone required to access additional benefits.