Community Based Health Insurance Practices in Nepal

This paper critically reviews the micro health insurance practices in Nepal practices by governmental and nongovernmental sectors. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing community based health insurance practices, assess the opportunities and challenges of micro health scheme and suggest the better alternatives in Nepalese context. The paper has prepared based on available literature and it is qualitative in nature. The micro health insurance intervention nominal in Nepal is in infant stage.Government health post and hospital provides limited health services to public. Most of the Nepalese are far from the health insurance services. Six community based health insurance schemes have been initiated by government in 2003. These schemes are running by hospital, health centre, NGOs, Cooperatives, Business Association and Trade union. Some schemes are self sustained economically whereas most of the schemes are supported by government and international donor agencies. Micro Health Insurance Schemes are running in different parts of Nepal which covers almost 50,000 people. From 400 to 18000 clients are covered by different micro health insurance schemes. are getting health insurance facility. The paper concludes that the impact of community based social health schemes in Nepal is not significant but it is essential for poor and marginalized group.