More Than 732,000 People in Sudurpashchim Enrolled in Health Insurance
Kathmandu — More than 732,000 people in Sudurpashchim Province have enrolled in the health insurance program. According to the Sudurpashchim Provincial Office of the Health Insurance Board, 732,752 people from the province’s nine districts had joined by the end of Bhadra.
Data from the Insurance Management Information System shows that Kailali has the highest number of enrollees, with 361,979 people covered.
Kanchanpur follows with 87,087 enrollees, then Achham (67,308), Bajhang (52,211), Bajura (45,454), Baitadi (34,270), Dadeldhura (33,378), Doti (27,862) and Darchula (23,203).
Nepal launched its health insurance program on April 8, 2016, to provide citizens with affordable, quality healthcare and reduce the financial burden of medical treatment. The Health Insurance Board was established under the Health Insurance Act, 2017 and the Health Insurance Regulations, 2018 to manage and operate the program.
Article 35 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to free basic healthcare and equal access to health services. Article 51(j), under the constitutional policies on citizens’ basic needs, provides for ensuring health insurance and access to healthcare. The program has been expanded in line with these provisions.
A family of up to five members must pay an annual contribution of NPR 3,500 to enroll. Families with more than five members pay an additional NPR 700 per year for each extra member.
The benefit package has been doubled. Health insurance is free for senior citizens over 70, people from extremely poor households, persons with disabilities, and patients with leprosy, HIV and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, with the government bearing the premiums for these groups. All employees in the organized sector are required to enroll by contributing one percent of their income.
An insured family of up to five members is entitled to medical treatment benefits of up to NPR 100,000. For larger families, coverage rises by NPR 20,000 for each additional member, up to a maximum of NPR 200,000.