Insurance agencies of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) worked closely together to implement a project to enhance Vietnam’s capacity in building a policy on health insurance and the management of health insurance in Vietnam.

The result of the project, which was carried out during 2012-2013, was reviewed at a workshop held in Hanoi on November 26.

Implemented with 800,000 USD funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the project aims to assist Vietnam in renovating its health insurance regulations, towards developing the model of universal health coverage in the country.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Public Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen praised the RoK’s successes in deploying the model of universal health coverage in the country over the last 12 years, saying that the model is a valuable experience for Vietnam as well as other countries in the world to follow.

She said she hopes that Vietnam will make use of the project’s results to develop the country’s policy on health insurance and management in the field.

Representatives from the ministry affirmed that the RoK’s experience in the field will help Vietnam modify and supplement its Law on Health Insurance, while innovating measures to promote the model of universal health coverage and enhance the health insurance examination work in the country.

The project’s general report on health insurance policy also provided Vietnam with a useful reference to further foster the development of the field in Vietnam, they said.

Vietnamese and RoK participants expressed their hope that through the project, relations in the health insurance sector will be established between the two countries in the future.

The two sides’ representatives pledged to continue sharing experiences in universal health insurance, managing the price of pharmaceuticals, building the list of medicine for health insurance and improving health insurance examinations in the field.-VNA