Nepal's Health Insurance Reform Suggestion Task Force has recommended that the government employees and the employees working in the private organised sector pay 1% of their annual salary to the health insurance fund and an equal amount is paid by the employer.
The Health Insurance Reform Suggestion Task Force was set up in October 2024 to come up with suggestions to increase the effectiveness of the country’s health insurance scheme and make it universally accessible.
The task force has suggested that the benefit under the scheme currently up to NPR100,000 be increased to NPR500,000. The task force has suggested that the current amount does not provide much support in the treatment of most of the incurable and serious diseases.
The task force has submitted its report to the ministry of health and population with a request to implement the recommendations through immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term action plans.
The task force has also recommended restructuring of the health infrastructure in the country so that all the health services provided by the government, including basic and emergency, will be provided through health insurance.
In a related development moving forward, there will be a service providing institution at each level for health insurance servicing. According to a proposed amendment, the Health Insurance Board has to sign an agreement to have at least one service provider at each level.
Nepal’s minister for health and population Pradeep Paudel has moved forward the proposed amendment. As per the provisions of the proposed amended Act, it is expected that the problem of not being able to get health insurance services in a specific municipality even after becoming an insurance member earlier will end.