Health Insurance Board’s Annual Policy and Program has been made Public, Different Important Topic has been Covered

Kathmandu : The Health Insurance Board has published the approved annual policy and program for the financial year 2023 A.D. The program was conducted on 26 September under the chairmanship of  Dr. Damodar Basaula, Executive Director of the Board, where the annual policy and program was made public.

Executive Director of Insurance Board Dr. Damodar Basaula has removed 26 service providers that are not on providing service among the list of 466 primary health centers, basic hospitals, provincial hospitals, federal hospitals, health science institutes, medical colleges and private hospitals as per the policy of the government’s budget.

Now, 440 remaining health sectors are providing health services. He also said that citizens are very attracted to the citizen health insurance program because of the lack of quality services that the citizens want and the spontaneous desire of the citizens. He has made it clear that if all the citizens of the state can be supported and operated significantly then all the citizens of the state will join the health insurance program and there will be no doubt that this program will develop sustainably.

According to the board, many efforts are being made to increase access to health services in Nepal to sustain the health insurance program and there is a strategy to achieve the first health sector reform program and the second millennium development goal.

Similarly, as guaranteed by the Health Policy, 2014 A.D and the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 A.D, the government of Nepal has also informed that the government of Nepal is currently providing free basic health services to the general public and target groups. The board is going to coordinate with the relevant parties to include the families and organized sectors of people who go for foreign employment in the health insurance act and regulations in the financial year 2023/024 A.D.

In addition, the Board will amend the Health Insurance Act, 2017 A.D, the Health Insurance Regulations, 2018 A.D and related procedures, guidelines and standards based on need. It has been said that there is a plan to coordinate and cooperate with the provincial and local governments and make the Provincial and Local Health Insurance Coordinating Committee more effective in order to operate the health insurance program effectively.

Initiatives will be taken in the relevant agencies for the approval of the permanent organization structure submitted by the Health Insurance Board. Until that structure is approved, the temporary posting structure will be implemented with the approval of the Government of Nepal. Currently, the number of households covered by health insurance has increased from 31.4 percent and board has targeted to reach above to 50 percent in fiscal year 2023/024 A.D.

In order to operate the health insurance program effectively, the information received through the insurance management information system will be analyzed and a procedure will be developed and implemented to make decisions based on actual facts and use the available data appropriately.

The process of complete digitization of the health insurance program will be carried forward and through the insurance management information system, online insurance article registration, dispatch system, complaint hearing, information analysis and regular publicizing system, integrated accounting system, service provider monitoring and maintenance system, service provider listing and renewal facility.

According to the system, the appropriate type of electronic medical record (EMR) will be created and implemented according to the level of the health service provider. In order to make the facility system that is currently in operation scientific and effective, it will be prepared and implemented on the basis of 4 types of service providers such as basic hospitals, provincial hospitals, hospitals with more than 200 beds and specialized hospitals according to the consultation and discussion of relevant experts and service providers.