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Jigmi Wangdi
A potential solution to the rising costs of government health referrals could be a new health insurance scheme launched yesterday by the Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan (RICBL).
Referrals are for complex medical conditions such as cancer treatment, neurosurgery, heart disease and other complex conditions requiring surgery.
According to officials at the National Health Service, referrals usually occur when hospitals like JDWNRH lack the infrastructure required for treatment.
The Ministry of Health spent about 206.7 million nunatrum on referrals between 2021 and 2022, increasing to 501 million nunatrum between 2022 and 2023 and 529.95 million nunatrum between 2023 and April 2024. An additional 80 million to 100 million nunatrum is needed by the end of June 2024.
The total cost of referrals increased by 154.3% between 2021 and 2023. The total government spending on health referrals between 2021 and 2024 will reach a staggering 1.2 billion nunatrum.
To cope with these increasing costs, RICBL’s health insurance scheme is designed to reduce the financial burden on the government.
The insurance is available to Bhutanese citizens and foreigners who have resided in the country for more than six months. Currently, the insurance plan only covers medical treatment received in India.
A major feature of this health insurance plan is that one policy covers the entire family, up to two adults and three children. No referral letter from a national hospital is required for treatment in India.
In addition, the insurance plan provides free medical examinations every two years and covers hospitalization expenses for up to 24 hours, including day care procedures and treatments of less than 24 hours.
The insurance costs range from Ngultrum 300,000 to Ngultrum 1,000,000 and covers 150 different surgeries.
RICBL General Manager Kinga Thinley said that this health insurance is affordable and everyone can afford insurance. “Existing health insurance premiums are high. But with this health insurance, the premiums become affordable. The policyholders can pay in instalments.”
For example, for an insurance amount of 300,000 Ngultrums, a person must pay a total of 7,000 Ngultrums in installments over 12 months.
The waiting period for pre-existing conditions is two years from the policy effective date. The insurance package also covers domestic road ambulance and home hospitalization.
RICBL officials are optimistic that with this health insurance, more people will seek timely medical attention, leading to quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment.
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