MetLife Nepal’s ‘One’ App Faces Scrutiny Over Health Service Operations Beyond Insurance Scope

Kathmandu – MetLife Nepal, operating in the country as a branch office of the American life insurance company Alico since 2058 BS, is facing criticism for allegedly conducting activities outside the regulatory scope of its insurance license.

According to experts and industry observers, MetLife has expanded its services through a digital health platform—One by MetLife Nepal which is offering services such as medicine delivery, virtual medical consultations, ambulance dispatch, and health risk assessments. These services are being provided not only to insured clients but also to the general public, raising questions about compliance with the Insurance Act 2079.

Insurance expert Rabindra Ghimire stated that the app’s operations contradict the core principles of insurance. “Insurance is based on risk pooling and regulated offerings. When services go beyond what is permitted by law, it becomes necessary for the Insurance Authority to intervene,” he said.

Despite concerns raised during on-site inspections, the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) has yet to take formal action. Some observers have raised concerns about possible collusion or oversight failures within the regulatory body, especially considering that prior approvals had been granted for convenience-based digital services under former NIA Chairman Surya Prasad Silwal.

The One app—run from MetLife’s Pulchowk office—does not explicitly highlight insurance services. Instead, it features options such as video-based doctor consultations, foreign doctor access, health service discounts, lab testing from home, and a digital ‘My Life Card’. A large portion of these services are accessible to non-policyholders, who are required to pay separately.

Data from the company indicates that the app has been downloaded by over 261,000 users, out of which only 44,500 are insured clients. This means more than 80% of users are availing services without holding an insurance policy with MetLife.

While MetLife promotes the app as a tool to integrate digital health and insurance services under the ‘360 Health’ program, experts argue that the service structure resembles a health-tech or telemedicine platform more than a traditional insurance product.

An NIA official, speaking anonymously, acknowledged to Beemapost that offering these services to non-policyholders is not in line with insurance regulations. “The app may have initially been launched to support insured clients, but its current operation clearly exceeds the permitted boundaries,” the official said.

MetLife has yet to issue a public statement addressing the regulatory concerns.