Health insurance expansion in Kanchanpur remains slow amid low public awareness

Kanchanpur: A decade after the launch of the health insurance program in Kanchanpur, the expansion of coverage remains slow, with public awareness and trust still limited. The program, initiated to reduce the financial risks of unplanned medical expenses and ensure quality health services, has reached only a fraction of the population.

The government provides health insurance coverage worth Rs. 100,000 annually for senior citizens, with premiums paid by the state. It also mandates that the organized sector contribute one percent of income for enrollment. Despite these measures, only 15 percent of Kanchanpur’s population has joined the program. According to the Health Insurance Board Kanchanpur, 77,135 individuals from 33,603 families are currently insured out of a total population of 513,757. Lalit Joshi, head of the Health Insurance Board District Liaison Office, attributed low enrollment to the limited availability of service-providing hospitals.

Currently, only four hospitals provide health insurance services in the district, including Mahakali Provincial Hospital, Shreepur Primary Health Center, Beldadi Health Center, and Dodhara Chandani Hospital. Apart from Mahakali Provincial Hospital in Mahendranagar, no hospital offers comprehensive services, discouraging enrollment. “So far, only 15 percent of the population has become members; 85 percent remain uninsured,” Joshi said.

Public awareness is another major challenge. Despite deploying registered assistants across all 92 wards, the Insurance Board has struggled to inform rural residents about the program. Haridatta Bhatta of Bedkot Municipality shared that he had to buy medicines outside the hospital despite having insurance, citing delays in medicine supply as a major deterrent. Similarly, Rajeshwori Joshi from Bedkot Municipality-7 noted that only partial insurance services were available when she sought treatment at Mahakali Provincial Hospital, with long queues and medicine shortages further discouraging participation.

Krishnananda Bhatta, outgoing chairman of Mahakali Provincial Hospital, emphasized that low enrollment is linked to both lack of public awareness and inconsistent service delivery. “Service recipients do not always get the medicines they need, and delays in hospital payments reduce trust in the system,” he said. He added that procedural hassles and unequal treatment of insured and uninsured patients further diminish public confidence.

Hospital staff also reported challenges such as limited medicine supply, complicated treatment procedures, and unequal care between insured and uninsured patients. Although the government envisions health insurance as a long-term health security system, policy commitments have not translated effectively into practice. Despite local efforts to prioritize insurance expansion, practical progress has remained minimal.