Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa Pledges to Elevate Health Insurance to National Pride Project

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has announced plans to advance the Health Insurance Program as a project of national pride. He stated that the next government will place high priority on health insurance, operating under the principle that 'Health is not charity, but security.'

In a video message released on social media, Thapa claimed that the Congress has prepared a clear roadmap to end the situation where citizens have to sell their land and property for medical treatment. Thapa, a former Health Minister, recalled the painful situations he witnessed during his tenure and emphasized the need for radical reform in the current health system.

He pointed out that many citizens are forced to abandon treatment midway due to lack of funds, and families who have barely risen out of poverty risk falling back into destitution when struck by serious illness. He presented statistics showing that while the World Health Organization standard dictates that citizens should spend no more than 20 percent of treatment costs out-of-pocket, this rate in Nepal is above 57 percent. This statistic, he noted, clearly indicates that the state is failing to fulfill its role correctly in the health sector.

While the Health Insurance Act was enacted and the program initiated during his tenure, he expressed concern that the program has become disorganized recently. He mentioned that although Pradip Paudel attempted reforms while at the Ministry of Health, the program has now reached a point where it might be shut down, stating that bringing it back on track will be his first priority.

Informing that the Congress's resolution paper will include a detailed plan to systematize health insurance, he committed to making it a project of national pride if given the responsibility.

Thapa presented four main pillars for health insurance reform. As the first pillar, he cited 'Universal Coverage.' He stated that mandatory insurance would be implemented for every Nepali, including those in the informal sector, and the state would take responsibility for the extremely poor, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities who cannot afford premiums. His plan involves imposing special taxes on items like alcohol and cigarettes, with the revenue directly channeled to the Health Insurance Fund.

As the second reform, he mentioned integrating scattered health and social security programs. The third involves strengthening the health system by clarifying the roles of the three tiers of government and the private sector in line with federalism.

The fourth and most crucial aspect emphasized was good governance, where he proposed plans to expedite and make claim payments transparent through a digital system, eliminate duplication, and empower the board.

Thapa also unveiled a phased plan to bring health insurance into full implementation within the next five years. According to him, the first phase after forming the government will focus on removing the current disarray, while the second phase will expand the scope of insurance.

By the third phase, reaching the fifth year, the situation will be created where insurance covers all treatment costs, except for a specified negative list. He asserted that if this is achieved, the compulsion for any citizen to be deprived of treatment due to lack of money or to sell their property for medical expenses will end forever.

He stressed that since health is a constitutional right, it must be viewed not as charity but as a guarantee of citizen security.