15 Feb 2019, Kathmandu
The government, as per its plans to cover more people under health insurance scheme, is going to launch the public health insurance plan in additional districts. They are Syangja, Darchula, Kanchanpur, Humla, Mugu, Banke, Dolpa, Sankhuwasabha and Morang.
The Public Health Insurance Plan was started by the central government in 2016-17 fiscal year from Kailali Baglung and Ilam. The Health Insurance Board implements this plan.
Under the programme, a family of five members signing up for the programme by paying Rs 2, 500 in advance annually can claim up to Rs 50,000 worth of medical treatment per year.
In case of a family with more than five members, each family member, under the programme, is required to pay an annual fee of Rs 425 and medical service worth Rs 10,000 each person will be added accordingly as per the programme.
According to newly appointed Executive Director of the Board Ramesh Kumar Pokharel, the programme is going to be extended in Syangja from February 17 while extension in 8 other districts is aimed by mid-April.
So far over 400,000 families have been brought under the insurance coverage collecting over Rs 1 billion from the insured ones. Over 800,000 women were already insured while severely poor persons insured under this scheme stand at 191,000, said Executive Director Pokharel .
