Kathmandu. The Health Insurance Board is now going to make arrangements that only government health institutions will be the ‘first service point’.
Issuing a public notice in the name of community and private health institutions, the Board has informed that now only government health institutions will be the first service point.
Sub-section (6) of Section 9 of the Health Insurance Act, 2074 (Second Amendment) and clause (g) of Rule 2 of rule 2 of the Regulations, 2075 (First Amendment) provide that the first service point will be the government health institution only. The insurance board is going to implement the same arrangement from July 1.
According to the Board, the first service point will not be community and private health institutions on July 15. At present, some community and private health institutions are also the first service points.
Information Officer of the Insurance Board, Bikesh Malla, said that this arrangement is being implemented as there are government health institutions in all the local levels. “A small number of community and private health institutions are the first service points,” he said. ’
The Ministry of Health has recently amended the Health Insurance Rules to end the obligation of the insured to take medical services at the designated health institution. Now the insured can avail health care services by working as the first service point at the place where he resides.
This arrangement is expected to come into effect from Mid-July. The ministry believes that this will expand the scope and reach of health insurance.
