KATHMANDU: The Health Insurance Board Nepal has warned hospitals and health institutions that legal action will be taken if they deny services to patients enrolled in the national health insurance program.
The warning comes after reports that several hospitals and service providers have been reluctant to provide treatment to insured patients and have failed to deliver necessary health services under the insurance scheme.
The board stated that some health institutions were found causing inconvenience to insured beneficiaries and refusing to provide services during the implementation of the insurance program.
It has urged all service providers to ensure that insured patients receive medical treatment smoothly and without discrimination.
According to the board, concerns have been raised over hospitals requiring patients to take prior appointments to access insurance-covered services, treating insured patients differently, and failing to provide essential medical services and medicines.
The board has also drawn attention to practices that violate the Health Insurance Act 2017 and the Health Insurance Regulation 2018, as well as other prevailing laws.
Executive Director of the board, Krishna Prasad Paudel, said that strict action will be taken against any health institution found violating the law during monitoring.
“If any service provider is found to have acted against the provisions of the Health Insurance Act during inspections, action will be taken in accordance with the law,” Paudel said.
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