Stakeholders have said that there is a problem in treatment services due to health insurance not paying hospitals on time. At a program organized by the Health Insurance Board, Dr. Balaram Malla of Dhulikhel Hospital said that the lack of quality service will lead to disappointment for the insured and the health insurance program itself will not be effective.

He said, 'If the perception is that the health insurance program is weak, there is a risk that people will not come to avail the service. Therefore, special attention should be paid to quality. It is necessary to improve its structure and introduce a new package system so that health insurance does not become limited to slogans.'

At the program, Health Insurance Board member Dr. Muktiram Shrestha said that the program has not become effective because the board is dependent on it. According to him, the board collects about 4.5 billion premiums annually, while the payments to be made by hospitals reach 14 billion.

Shrestha said, 'It has become impossible to meet the payment of 10 billion every year from health insurance. There is a huge gap of about 75 percent between payment demand and income, which makes it difficult to move the program forward. To reduce this, members of organized organizations should be compulsorily affiliated with health insurance as per the act.'

Health Insurance Board Executive Director Raghuraj Kafle informed that 12.5 million people have been provided services through health insurance in a year. According to him, an insured citizen receives hospital services on an average of five times a year.

Kafle said that about 10 billion rupees worth of medicines are purchased from health insurance alone. He mentioned that the number of people receiving services from health insurance is increasing year by year and said, 'There is a lack of resources to make timely payments to hospitals. Homework is being done to strengthen the insurance fund and operate the program effectively.'