The Ministry of Health and Population, which is leading the task, said the insurance programs would be initially rolled out in Ilam, Sarlahi, Baglung, Banke and Kailali districts.[break]
“The pilot program would cover all the people living in the five districts,” Kavi Raj Khanal, under secretary at the ministry, told Republica.
Although the date of the launch of program has not been fixed yet, the government, according to Khanal, has already started designing insurance schemes which would provide cover to individuals of five selected districts.
“This will enable those insured in the selected districts to claim for expenses made on medical services,” Khanal said, informing, “the program would be extended throughout the country within five years of its commercial launch, when enrolment in the scheme would be made mandatory for every family.”
The ministry´s latest announcement comes three months after introduction of a draft on National Health Insurance Policy 2012 - a key document based on which health insurance schemes would be gradually rolled out in the country.
The government has been trying to introduce universal health insurance for the first time in the country to increase people´s access to affordable healthcare services.
The government is currently spending millions of rupees every year to provide free treatment against various diseases. Yet these subsidized programs have not been effective as they do not incorporate treatment of new diseases. “This is increasing healthcare spending, which is pushing moderate income generating families to the verge of poverty, while compelling members of poor families to remain incapacitated on their deathbeds,” the draft of health insurance policy reads.
Once the insurance program is launched, it is expected to reduce the burden posed by often huge healthcare bills, which tends to put a dent on household spending in education, good nutrition and other forms of consumption.
As per the health insurance policy introduced by the government in August, every family in the country can enroll in the program upon paying annual premium of Rs 2,000. This amount will provide healthcare coverage of up to Rs 50,000 per year per family. This means every family that makes an annual payment of Rs 2,000 would be entitled to healthcare services worth Rs 50,000 per year from hospitals and health service providers approved by the government.
But targeted groups and people living below the line of poverty would be exempt from the service charge. Besides, healthcare services that are currently being offered for free will continue to remain free.
To launch these schemes, the government has also proposed formation of an autonomous National Health Insurance Fund, which will be affiliated to the health ministry.
The Fund, which will also work as the Insurance Pool, will among others, mobilize and allocate resources, develop healthcare packages and claim settlement mechanism, rope in service providers in the scheme, monitor implementation of schemes and settle disputes. The Fund will also oversee different insurance units created in district, municipality and village development committee levels.
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