Health insured to bear 20 percent of treatment cost

Kathmandu, Apr 14: The Health Insurance Board has informed that those insured under the health insurance programme are made responsible to bear 20 percent cost on their own while receiving treatment at private and community hospitals.     

 Executive Director at Board, Dr Damodar Basaula, informed that those insured under the scheme would bear 20 percent of total expanse made in the treatment from today. This new provision would discourage the insured ones to undergo nonessential health tests. Only sick and insured ones would be benefited with the new provision, according to him.     

Earlier, the health-insured people were liable to bear 10 percent of spending in treatment at community hospitals and 20 percent of spending at private hospitals.     

Executive Director Dr Basaula however informed that the scheme would not be enforced in the basic hospitals of 15 beds.     

The co-sharing of the treatment cost will be effective in federal and provincial hospitals, private and community hospitals, and medical colleges where specialist service is available.     

A total of 77,41,483 people have joined the insurance scheme. Among them, 3.6 million are receiving benefit, while number of those yet to renew the facility is 4.8 million.(RSS)