Nepal will double health insurance support for eight critical illnesses to Rs 200,000 from July, also expanding enrollment, funding, and including compulsory insurance for government employees for greater program sustainability
Nepal’s Minister for Health and Population, Pradip Paudel, has announced a significant expansion of the country’s health insurance support. From Shrawan 1 (mid-July), patients with eight critical illnesses—including cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, head and spinal injuries, sickle cell anemia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease—will see their treatment assistance under the national health insurance scheme doubled from Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000.
This reform, endorsed at a recent Health Insurance Board meeting, comes alongside efforts to ensure local treatment access for insured individuals, increase enrollment (especially among government and organized sector employees, as well as migrant workers), and improve program funding. The government plans to clear pending dues and introduce measures such as allocating 1% of federal hospital revenue and using progressive taxation to strengthen the Health Insurance Fund. These measures are designed to make Nepal’s health insurance program more sustainable and inclusive
