Kathmandu, Jan 3: A reform committee formed to improve the health insurance sector has submitted its report to Health and Population Minister Pradip Paudel.
During a handover ceremony at the ministry, Minister Paudel expressed his commitment to implementing the recommendations outlined in the report. He stated, “We are eager to bring reforms to the insurance sector. This report contains plans and topics necessary for health insurance improvement. We will study it thoroughly and put it into action.”
Minister Paudel acknowledged that the existing health insurance program has been disorganized and has failed to fully benefit targeted groups. He noted that the report would help address these shortcomings. The report will also be presented to the Cabinet and made public after some time.
Secretary of the Ministry, Hari Prasad Mainali, described the report as a significant step toward health insurance reform.
The nine-member committee, led by senior public health expert Dr. Shambhu Prasad Acharya, was formed on Ashwin 9 by Minister Paudel to address health insurance reforms. Dr. Acharya highlighted that the report identifies opportunities and challenges in health insurance.
The committee included members such as former Vice-Chair of the Gandaki Province Policy and Planning Commission Dr. Raghuraj Kafle, senior cardiac surgeon Prof. Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, and joint secretaries from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, and the National Planning Commission. The Executive Director of the Health Insurance Board, the Chief of the Ministry’s Quality Measurement and Regulation Division, and representatives from the private sector were also part of the committee. #health #nepal #insurance
