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<p class="page_heading">Questions & Answers</p>
<p>Click on the question links below to reveal the answer</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="text_heading"> Membership and Registration</p>
<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc1')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>1. Why does a employer need to register?</strong></p>
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<p>According to the decree on Social Security Number 207/PM for enterprise and private companies’ employees any business unit which employs 10 employees up must register the company and all employees which SSO. Employees will then become entitled to <a href="benefits.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu" >social security benefits</a>. Monthly contribution will have to be paid to <a href="about.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">SSO</a>.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>2. How does a employer register?</strong></p>
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<p>The employer needs to fill information in the registration form and submits the documents to the <a href="how_to_register.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">SSO Registration</a>.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>3. Where can a employer go for the registration?</strong></p>
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<p>The employer can receive registration at the next <a href="contact.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">SSO office</a> or can can <a href="how_to_register.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">download</a> them from the website.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>4. When can a employer register?</strong></p>
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<p>Registration can be done every time. However, the license to run a business needs to be issued first. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>5. What happens if an employer does not register?</strong></p>
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<p>The registration for companies with equal and more than 10 employees is mandatory. The non-accomplishment can result in visits or warnings by authorized inspectors. Finally, the enterprise can also be fined. </p>
<p>Companies with less than 10 employees can voluntary subscribe with SSO. If this company decides against social protection, it will be of disadvantage of the employees, but not result in any further action by SSO.</p>
<p>. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>6. Do all laborers need to register?</strong></p>
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<p>Yes, a member company will have to <a href="how_to_register.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu" >register</a> all contracted staff and regularly indicate changes of the personnel.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>7. What kind of employer needs to register?</strong></p>
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<p>All business units that employ 10 employees up falls under the Social Security decree and have to register with SSO.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>8. What kind of information does the employer need to provide?</strong></p>
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<p>The employer needs to completely fill the <a href="how_to_register.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">SSO registration</a> form and attach all required supporting documents.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>9.
Is it necessary for an employer to register for part-time employees?</strong></p>
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<p> Yes, all employees including part-time workers need to be registered.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>10.
How do the employees know that they are already registered?</strong></p>
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<p> After registration, SSO will issue a membership card for each member. The SSO member keeps the membership for his whole life. In case of unemployment the membership will become passive, which means that he/she is not entitled to health care and short-term benefits any more. In case of changing the employer, this membership will be re-activated. The member has to inform the new employer on his previous enrolment with SSO in order to continue his/her contributions for getting a higher pension. If the employee cannot remember, whether or not he/she has been enrolled with SSO, the SSO office voluntarily helps to clarify on it. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc11')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>11.
When a husband and a wife both work for a company, which is member of the Social Security scheme, need only one person to be member of SSO?
</strong></p>
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<p>In the case that both husband and wife are active laborers, each of them will have to register separately with SSO in order to get entitled to benefits. A family membership for health care is only for those spouses, who are not working or not having any chance to become member he/herself.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc12')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>12.
If an employee stops working, can he/she be remain a member?</strong></p>
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<p>In case of the termination of a working contract, the active membership with SSO will also stop. However, if the employee has been registered for more than 3 months with SSO, he/she and the family members will get SSO health care benefits for another 3 months after the end of the working contract. On the other hand, passive membership with SSO will remain forever. This means, that all entitlements for pensions will be kept until having reached the retirement age. If the passive member will re-enter into employment with the same or another employer, he/she can re-activate the membership and continue contribution on the already established account. The new employer needs to be informed about it from the beginning. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc13')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>13.
When an insured person stops working, can he/she transfer his/her card to others?
</strong></p>
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<p>The Social Security card is only for individual use. It cannot be transferred to others, because it bears the code of the individual member.</p>
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<p class="text_heading">Contribution Payment</p>
<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc14')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>14.
An employee has contributed to Social Security for five years, in the case that he/she stops working before the time of retirement; does SSO return an amount of contribution?
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO cannot refund any contributions back to an insured person. However, this person, whether or not he continues working, will keep his entitlement to pension benefits, which will then be released at the moment he will reach the retirement age.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc15')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>15.
Is the amount of contribution based on basic salary or actual income?
</strong></p>
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<p>Contribution is based on the actual income. However, the ceiling of the amount used for the calculation of the contribution is maximum 1,500,000 Kip.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc16')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>16.
How can we believe that this Social Security scheme is sustainable and not getting bankrupted?
</strong></p>
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<p>The Government guarantees this Social Security scheme and the SSO Board of Directors monitors it. </p>
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<p class="text_heading">Entitlement to SSO benefits</p>
<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc17')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>17. What kind of benefit does a member of Social Security get?</strong></p>
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<p>As a member of Social Security, an insured person can receive 8 kinds of benefits:<br>
1. Health care benefit (free treatment at the hospitals)<br>
2. Sickness benefit (Indemnity to compensate for the loss of income during sickness)<br>
3. Maternity birth grant (grant for deliver a baby)<br>
4. Workplace related benefits (in case of work accident or occupational disease)<br>
5. Disability benefit (monthly payment in case of permanent disability)<br>
6. Retirement Pension (monthly payment in your retired age, based on the accumulated entitlements during working period)<br>
7. Funeral benefit (indemnity to contribute to funeral expenses)<br>
8. Survivors’ benefit (benefits to the surviving spouse and/or children who do not have an own income)</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc18')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>18. What will happen if the employer doesn't get their employees registered</strong></p>
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<p>If an insured person has paid contributions for a minimum of three months to SSO, he/she will receive SSO health care benefits for another three months following the date of terminating the job. He/we no longer be eligible for short-term benefits. However, entitlements for long-term benefits, especially retirement pension, will last forever. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc19')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>19.
Can an insured person's parents, sisters and brothers use an insured person's card?
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO family membership only entitles family members, such as a husband or a wife and children up to the age of 18.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc20')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>20.
Can a member of the family use a hospital service after an insured person already used it? Does it have a limit number of hospital service per year?
</strong></p>
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<p>There is no limit for treatment in the hospital. The insured person and their family can use services accord to their needs.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc21')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>21.
If the insured person is punished, fired or put in the prison, can his/her card be used?
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO provides social welfare to all groups of people in the society. You will always be an SSO member, may it active or passive. The reason for termination of the current working contract is not relevant to receive the additional three months health care benefit. However, prisoners cannot use it. Whenever you come back to the labor market, you can re-activate your SSO membership. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc22')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>22.
When an insured person uses a hospital service, does SSO pay for all treatment costs?
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO signs contracts with hospitals to provide free treatment to all insured persons. All benefits of the SSO <a href="medical_benefit.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">health insurance benefit package</a> are free of charge. However, some cases are not insured by SSO and will have to be paid by the patient directly.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc23')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>23.
If the insured person falls sick, but has so far only contributed for two months; will SSO cover for hospital fees?
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO is not authorized to pay for any hospital treatments until an insured person has met with the minimum contributing conditions of three months. The only exception is for the treatment of illnesses caused by a work accident.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc24')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>24.
When using the hospital, what should we present to show that we are insured?
</strong></p>
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<p>At the hospital reception desk, the SSO patient (member or family member) will have to present the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p class="list"> SSO membership card and staff's ID card (for the SSO member only). </li>
<li><p class="list"> Family members (spouse or child) of insured persons have to present in addition the SSO membership card the family book. </li>
</ul>
Furthermore, the patient has to take his personal disease diagnostic book, if it is not stored at the hospital. In case, the patient visits the hospital for the first time, a new diagnostic book will be issued. Some hospitals offer this free of charge, some charge 5,000 Kip for the book
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc25')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>25.
Can an insured person use service at any hospital he/she wants?</strong></p>
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<p>Insured persons can only go to hospital that they have chosen in the beginning of their membership (if this selection has not officially changed over the time). In case of emergency, the next available hospital can be used, but within 72 hours the patient has to inform SSO and his/her usual hospital must be informed. Without this information, the patient will have to pay for all treatment costs by himself.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc26')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>26.
What kind of hospital services provided by Social Security? Is a medical check up part of it?</strong></p>
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<p> The hospital services provided for insured persons are the following:<br>
1. Examination and external treatments,<br>
2. Examination, treatments, room fee for inpatient-stay (ordinary room)<br>
3. Drugs and medical equipment defined by the basic national medicine list,<br>
4. Health recovery treatment,<br>
5. Health education and disease prevention and promotion,<br>
6. Service during pregnancy and delivery,<br>
7. Transfer of patient from one hospital to other hospital if necessary.<br>
Based on the above service list, a medical check up takes part of the services, if it is medically indicated.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc27')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>27. Does it have a maximum cost for each time of hospital service?</strong></p>
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<p>No, there is no maximum cost for treatment in the hospital. SSO will cover the costs until discharge, as long as the illness/service is not explicitly excluded from the benefit list.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc28')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>28. Can an insured person change the hospital</strong></p>
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<p>If an insured person has already chosen a hospital, he/she can then change the selected hospital maximal one time a year. The employee will have to fill the form (SSO 1-05) [LINK TO FORM] and submit it to SSO latest by November 30 previous to the year of change. The change of hospital will then be effectuated at January 1. However, all family members are bound to the same hospital, as selected by the respective insured person. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc29')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>29.
If an insured person wants to use the service overseas, will SSO cover the costs
</strong></p>
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<p>SSO will not cover the overseas hospital service costs overseas, except in case of an emergency, if the treatment is not only medically necessary, but also not available in Lao PDR. An approval by SSO prior to the evacuation is absolutely necessary. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc30')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>30.
Can family members of an insured person use the hospital service?
</strong></p>
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<p>Yes, if they are registered as family members, the spouse and children up to the age of 18 years can get health care benefits at the hospital, selected by the SSO member, to whom this family belongs. The medical care services are free of charge for the family members, too. At the hospital reception, the membership card and family book have to be presented. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc31')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>31.
Are there any diseases/services exempted from the SSO health care benefits?
</strong></p>
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<p> According to the agreement of SSO Medical committee, there are 17 types of treatments/disease that are not included in this scheme:<br>
01. Sex interchange<br>
02. Eyeglasses or contact lens<br>
03. Artificial insemination<br>
04. Diseases that are covered under government plans, such as tuberculosis<br>
05. Organ transplant <br>
06. Sterilization<br>
07. Thalassemia<br>
08. Haemodialysis<br>
09. Aesthetical surgery<br>
10. Open heart sugery<br>
11. Motor vehicle accidents (not related to work)<br>
12. HIV/AIDS treatment<br>
13. Treatment in the hospital more than 3 months<br>
14. Dental services (exception of pain reduction, small fixing teeth and pulling teeth)<br>
15. Brain operation<br>
16. Chemotherapy </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc32')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>32.
Does a female insured person who delivers a baby receive benefits?
</strong></p>
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<p>A female insured person has right to receive maternity birth benefit at 100% of an average of her contributable income for the last six months prior to the delivery. She will receive the benefit for three months following the delivery. [LINK TO BENEFIT PACKAGE/MATERNITY] However, as precondition to become entitled to this benefit, contributions to SSO have to be paid for at least 9 months within last 12 months prior to the delivery.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc33')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>33.
If a female insured person has contributed to Social Security for 3-4 months, can she receive the delivery benefits?</strong></p>
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<p>If the insuree has paid contributions for 3 month, but not yet for 9 months with the 12 months prior to the delivery, she is definitely entitled to get free hospital treatment, especially for necessary antenatal examination and delivery. However, she will not receive the maternity birth benefit.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc34')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>34.
Can a wife of an insured person, who delivers a baby, also receive maternity benefits?
</strong></p>
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<p>A male insured person cannot receive a maternity birth benefit for his wife, but he will instead receive a birth delivery allowance. This allowance will be paid as a lump sum of 60 % of the minimum salary defined by the government for a child. An insured person can get a child birth allowance if she/he has contributed to SSO for at least 12 months within the last 18 months before she/his wife is delivering a baby or they have adopted one.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc35')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>35.
If an insured person never uses the hospital service, does he/she get more pension fund than others when he/she is retired?
</strong></p>
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<p>The SSO management strictly separates pension and health insurance funds. Hence, it is impossible to switch benefits from one of these funds to another. If the insured has never used the health care benefits, he/she is amongst one of the luckiest members, as he has been in a good health condition all his life. He therefore could support other members, who have been very often sick. And who knows, probably this person will one day become very sick and will the be grateful to get free services. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc36')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>36.
If an insured person is not old enough for retirement, can he/she receive a lump sum payment? Or how can an insured person get a lump sum payment?
</strong></p>
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<p>The Decree 207 stipulates that an insured person can earliest receive retirement pension benefits at the age of 60. However, for very specific reasons, a pension can already be received at the age of 55. However, the calculated monthly retirement pension will then be reduced by 0,5% for every not yet completed year before reaching the age of 60. </p>
<p>In case that an insured person reaches retirement age of 60 years, but he/she has not contributed for a minimum of five years, he can only receive a lump sum amount. </p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc37')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>37.
What social benefits SSO offers in case of death?
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<p>In case that an insured person dies, SSO will pay six months of the amount of his/her insuring income to compensate for the costs of the funeral. If the spouse of the insured dies, SSO will then pay for three months. If case of the death of a child, the death benefit is then equal to 2 months of the insuring earnings. An insured person is entitled to receive death benefits only, if he/she has contributed at least 12 months of last 18 months before the death.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc38')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>38.
If an insured person dies, what are benefits will the family receive?
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<p>If an insured person dies, his/her family will receive the funeral benefit as well as one of the <a href="survivors_benefit.htm" target="_top" class="main_menu">survivor’s benefits</a>.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc39')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>39.
During sickness, how SSO compensates for the loss of income?
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<p>Countable days for sick leave always require a doctor’s certificate. For the first 7 days, it is the employer’s duty to continue the payment of salary. From the 8 th day onwards, SSO will pay 60% of the insured person's average insuring income of the last six months before falling sick. The payments will be made weekly, but maximum for a total of one year.</p>
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<p onClick="expandcontent(this, 'sc40')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer"><strong>40.
If an insured person has a work accident or suffers from an occupational disease, how will he be compensated?
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<p>In case that an insured person has been insured by an accident during work or fallen ill caused by an occupational disease, he/she can get a full salary from the employer for 30 days as stating in article 29 of the Labour Law. After that, SSO will pay 100% of the salary or insuring income for another six months. Thereafter, if insured person still remains sick, he/she will get 60% of that amount for another 18 months. Without any recovery from the sickness, he/she then will be examined to assess a permanent loss of work capacity. This will entitle him/her to receive disability benefits until he/she will reach the age of retirement and then change another time to the pension benefits.</p>
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