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Public servants to get health insurance
- Army, police and security forces also included
KATHMANDU, NOV 06 - The government is introducing a health insurance package for civil servants and security personnel, including army and police forces, from the second half of the current fiscal year.
"The programme, which is at the final stage of implementation, will cover some 200,000 permanent civil servants and security personnel," Rana Bahadur Shrestha, spokesperson of Ministry of Finance, told The Kathmandu Post.
The govt plans to provide each civil servant with medical expense coverage upto Rs 200,000 for a year. "The monetary limit might be changed, depending on the insurer’s proposal," he said.
The govt has earmarked about Rs 160 m in the budget for the purpose for payment of premium to the insurance company covering the risks.
"We have already called for bid from insurers," said Shrestha. The programme will commence and will hold good for one year from the date of signing the agreement with the insurer, and will be renewed every year. Although the government has been bearing various medical expenses of civil servants in the past, this is the first time a comprehensive package of health insurance is being introduced in the public service.
The health insurance package is being designed as per the budgetary programme announced for the current fiscal year. Changes have been effected in the programme from the previous decision.
The budgetary announcement mentioned of providing insurance coverage up to Rs. 200,000 for the first 200 claimants for special medical coverage, and Rs. 40,000 per normal treatment to all civil servants. However, such differential arrangement was perceived to create practical problems during the implementation.
"Hence, the new arrangement has been thrashed out for justice to all," said Shrestha. The changes were effected as per the recommendations of the Insurance Board, the insurance regulatory authority.
Meanwhile, experts opined that the success of the programme would largely depend on the sincerity of the civil servants while lodging claims. "The major challenge will be in determining whether the bills submitted by the claimant are genuine," they said.
The responsibility of developing a mechanism to crosscheck the genuineness of the bills and claims will be of the companies concerned. However, to ease the insurer, the govt will be specifying the hospitals and nursing homes for the validity of claims.
"Only the bills of the govt stipulated hospitals and nursing homes will be accepted for settling the claims," said Shrestha. The names of the hospitals will be finalised in consultation with the insurer that will be awarded the tender.
The new insurance facility will, however, have no effect on the existing medical facilities provided to the civil servants. "They will still enjoy the medical expense facility incorporated in the Civil Servant Act," he said. The Act empowers the govt to pay a salary of 12 to 21 months to its permanent employees as medical expenses.
Posted on: 2003-11-05 08:36
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