Kathmandu. In Nepal, the dropout rate is higher than taking health insurance services.
This has been seen in the white paper issued by the Health Insurance Board. According to the white paper, a total of 8,952,135 people have joined health insurance so far. Current fiscal year 2081. The number of active insured people stood at 5,753,817 as of Mid-March 2018. Which is only 20 percent of the total population. The white paper states that more efforts will be needed to cover 80 percent of the citizens.
However, the rate of health insurance is high. According to the data, the health insurance dropout rate has reached 54 percent in the current fiscal year. The white paper states that once it is insured, it has not been able to create an environment for renewal. There is a need to identify the reasons for the high dropout rate and pay attention to addressing it.
According to the white paper, the number of people taking health insurance services is also increasing. Till Mid-February of the current fiscal year, 48 percent of the insured have availed health insurance services. This number is 2080 the previous year. 43 percent in 81 and 2079. It was 38 percent out of 80.
Similarly, the health insurance programme has reached 749 local levels in 77 districts. However, only 356 local levels have reached the first service point. This is only 47.2 percent of the local levels. There is still no first service point at 397 or 52.7 percent of the local levels. The insured there is obliged to take service from the service providers at other local levels.
Gandaki State is at the forefront in terms of participation in the health insurance program. According to the white paper, 34 percent participation is from this state in health insurance.
Similarly, Koshi Province (33 per cent) and Bagmati Province (26 per cent) have the second highest participation.
Lumbini and Karnali provinces have 14 per cent participation each, Sudurpaschim 11 per cent and Madhes 7 per cent.
