KATHMANDU, June 7: Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel has initiated internal preparations to enroll all employees in the government’s health insurance scheme.
The policies and programs introduced by the government based on the proposal from the Ministry of Health and Population included provisions to enroll civil servants and employees in the organized sector in the health insurance scheme.
In accordance with the arrangements under the Health Insurance Act 2074, Minister Paudel has decided to take initiatives to implement the provisions mentioned in the policies, programs, and budget.
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The ministry will ensure that civil servants of all ministries, commissions, bodies, and departments under the government are enrolled in the insurance scheme.
Similarly, initiatives will be taken through the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for bodies, departments, and offices under the provincial governments to access insurance. Likewise, initiatives will be carried out through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration for insuring government employees at all local levels, Minister Paudel said.
The ministry has planned to include not only government salaried employees but also employees from the organized sector in the health insurance program. According to the report of the Health Insurance Improvement Suggestion Task Force formed by the ministry, this approach will ensure sufficient premiums in the health insurance fund and make the program sustainable.
Minister Paudel had included this issue in the policies, programs, and budget based on the ministry's proposal. Now, the process for its implementation has been initiated, said the ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki. The ministry has begun preparations, including correspondence and making additional necessary arrangements.
Dr Raghu Raj Kafle, Executive Director of the Health Insurance Board (HIB), stated that implementing the provisions of the Health Insurance Act, which have not yet been enforced, would make a significant contribution to making the health insurance program more effective. He said that currently, a higher number of people from the high-risk group are insured, which is putting pressure on the resources provided by the government. If all civil servants are enrolled in health insurance, the program can be managed much more efficiently.
According to an internal study by the HIB, if the government's health assistance programs, currently provided separately, can be implemented through the health insurance scheme as stipulated in the Act, the HIB, which is struggling with a lack of financial resources, could receive up to Rs 40 billion more annually.
In the past, the HIB received around Rs 7.5 billion annually, but in this year's new budget, Minister Paudel, after continuous discussions with Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Poudel and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has secured an increased amount of Rs 10 billion. Additionally, the government has announced that past arrears will be cleared in the new fiscal year.
