RSP Lawmaker Ojaswi Sherchan Demands Urgent Policy Reforms for Health Insurance Program

Kathmandu. Ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Ojaswi Sherchan has demanded that the government immediately implement policy reforms for the health insurance program. She stated that the program is at risk of suspension due to a lack of budget and urged for a long-term solution.

Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday, MP Sherchan noted that the insurance program is under severe financial strain, causing significant hardship for service recipients. She emphasized the need for strong coordination between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance to resolve this issue immediately.

‘The Health Insurance Act 2074 aims to ensure quality healthcare for citizens and reduce financial risks during treatment. However, the program is currently under extreme financial pressure as the Insurance Board itself has not received payments,’ she said during the meeting. ‘Over 16 billion rupees remain unpaid to various hospitals, including 510 million to Bir Hospital and 400 million to Teaching Hospital. This is making it difficult for health institutions to continue their services.’

She pointed out that effective coordination between the Health Insurance Board, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Finance is essential to address this complex situation immediately. MP Sherchan clarified that policy reforms are necessary to sustain the health insurance program in the long run. 

To achieve this, she suggested integrating all scattered insurance schemes to expand the risk pool and implementing the concept of progressive tax in health insurance.