Government to Mandate Health Insurance for Public Representatives and Employees

The government has decided to make health insurance mandatory for all public representatives and government employees. According to the implementation plan of the Health Insurance Reform Task Force Report 2081, submitted by a task force formed by the Ministry of Health and Population, this will be enforced within the next year.

The plan stipulates that 1% of the salaries of public representatives and employees drawing from the state treasury will be deducted, matched by an equal contribution from the government or employer, and deposited into the insurance fund. Within six months to a year, packages will be developed to include private sector employees, the informal sector, and foreign tourists in the health insurance scheme. Within six months, registration and renewals will shift online, eliminate duplication, and allow unused insurance benefits to carry over to the next year.

Citizens with chronic illnesses will be enrolled as separate units, and existing health support programs for the underprivileged, kidney transplant patients, dialysis recipients, cancer patients, and those with spinal paralysis will be integrated into the insurance scheme. Free services for children under 15 and heart patients over 75 will also be included. Within six months, expanded benefit packages based on premiums will be introduced, the current three-month cycle will be reduced to one month, and health promotion packages will be assigned to local governments. The task force also recommends reviewing the existing premium rates.