From Shrawan 1 (July 16), eight types of patients will receive treatment support of up to NPR 200,000 through health insurance
Nepal Health News, Kathmandu – Minister of Health and Population, Pradeep Paudel, has announced that those enrolled in the health insurance program will now receive double the previous treatment support. According to Minister Paudel, in line with his earlier commitment, patients suffering from eight critical illnesses will now be entitled to a total of NPR 200,000 in treatment support — an increase of NPR 100,000 from the existing NPR 100,000.
He wrote on his social media this morning:
"With the intention of relieving the suffering of citizens who are unable to afford treatment for severe diseases, we have arranged for eight types of patients to receive NPR 200,000 for treatment under the health insurance program starting from Shrawan 1 (July 16), as per our prior commitment."
According to Minister Paudel, patients with the following illnesses will be eligible for this facility: cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, head injury, spinal injury, sickle cell anemia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. He had previously pledged to increase financial assistance for patients with these complex illnesses. Accordingly, the Ministry had sent an official letter to the Health Insurance Board.
Dr. Raghuraj Kafle, Executive Director of the Board, informed that a board meeting held on Tuesday night decided to provide NPR 200,000 in treatment expenses for patients suffering from these eight complex illnesses. The decision will be implemented from Shrawan 1 (July 16), he confirmed.
Previously, Minister Paudel had also made a policy decision to allow health insurance members to receive treatment from their local areas and access insurance benefits at all levels of care.
"We are continuously working to refine the health insurance system and make it more accessible to the general public," Minister Paudel said. "We always welcome your constructive advice, suggestions, and feedback."
Health Insurance Board’s Plan to Increase Revenue and Enrollment
Along with the increased treatment support, Minister Paudel has also made a policy decision to boost the revenue of the Health Insurance Fund. The recent policy and program document mentions mandatory enrollment of all employees in the government and organized sectors into the health insurance system.
Although this provision existed in the Health Insurance Act, it had not yet been implemented. Its enforcement is expected to boost enrollment and increase the fund’s income. Additionally, the Ministry has begun coordinating with various government bodies to include foreign migrant workers and their families in the health insurance scheme.
Furthermore, the government has announced through the new budget that the Health Insurance Board’s outstanding dues will be cleared. Minister Paudel has also decided that 1% of the income from federal hospital development committees will be directed to the Health Insurance Fund. Similarly, he announced plans to increase contributions to the fund through progressive taxation.
The government is also working to distribute all types of treatment support through the health insurance program to increase public enrollment. Dr. Kafle stated that the Board has taken action against some hospitals that were irregularly claiming payments and is working to strengthen its monitoring system.
He further mentioned that the Board is exploring various ways to increase the Fund’s income. With all these efforts, it is expected that both premium collection and enrollment will rise, ensuring the sustainability of the health insurance program.
