KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has advocated for streamlining the payback system of health insurance to enhance its effectiveness and service orientation.
Speaking at the Eighth Health Insurance Day event, the PM emphasized the need to make the joint-payment system facilitated by the Health Insurance Board more user-friendly.
He highlighted the importance of online membership registration, timely claim processing, and technology integration in the insurance scheme, citing them as crucial reformative measures.
Prime Minister Dahal reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the Health Insurance Programme’s meaningfulness and effectiveness in realizing the national aspirations of good governance, social justice, and prosperity.
He directed relevant bodies to focus on simplifying the process for insurance policyholders to access services, maintaining service quality, and fostering a service-oriented approach among service providers.
The PM stressed the importance of conducting effective literacy campaigns on the Health Insurance Programme and upholding good governance and financial discipline.
Furthermore, he underscored the government’s commitment to operating all health security plans through a unified system, streamlining procedures, and incorporating recommendations from federal, provincial, and local governments to enhance the Programme’s quality and coverage.
The Health Insurance Programme, initiated by the government under the theme ‘Your Health, Our Resolve,’ aims to prioritize state-participatory health initiatives.
Prime Minister Dahal handed out insurance certificates to senior citizens in Budhanilkantha Municipality, marking the Programme’s launch in all 753 local government units.
Dr. Gunaraj Lohani, Chairman of the Health Insurance Board, highlighted the expansion of insurance coverage, while Prof. Dr. Shivaraj Adhikari from the National Planning Commission emphasized the need for further simplification and reforms in the programme.
Dr. Roshan Pokharel, Secretary at the Ministry of Health, pledged to streamline local medicine production and enhance the practicality of insurance policies.
