Opposition Lawmaker Claims Nepal's Health Insurance Program is a Complete Failure

Kathmandu. Opposition party Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Parshuram Tamang has claimed that Nepal's health insurance program has completely failed. He made such a claim while speaking at the meeting of the Finance Committee of the Federal Parliament on Tuesday. He drew the attention of the government and regulatory bodies to the failure of health insurance, insurance data, and the financial risks that could arise due to the monopoly of business houses.

Lawmaker Tamang mentioned a significant gap between the government's claims regarding insurance access and the actual situation. Arguing that although insurance access is said to have reached 51 percent, it appears to be only around 20 percent in practice, he stated that a concrete plan is necessary for expanding access.

Speaking at the meeting, he expressed concern that Nepal's economy is controlled by a limited number of individuals. He stated that when the same group invests in three sectors—banks, insurance, and industry—it creates a conflict of interest. Analyzing that about 100 families control Nepal's economy through various means, he emphasized the need to separate these sectors at the time of issuing licenses.

Speaking at the meeting, he said, 'After investigating all sectors, I have found that Nepal's health insurance has failed. Why has it failed? An answer is needed.' He pointed out that when one person invests in industry, banks, and insurance, the failure of one sector will affect the others.

He added, 'There is a risk that insurance and banks will also be affected when industries go into loss. Therefore, it is necessary to have legal provisions to prevent individuals involved in one sector from investing in another sector, so that the failure of one sector does not have multiple effects on the overall economy.'

Supporting the views raised by other lawmakers on the issue of low access to agricultural insurance, he demanded policy clarity for the overall reform of the insurance sector.