National ID requirement for health insurance

The Health Insurance Board has announced two changes to the national health insurance program. From December 16, 2026 (Poush 1, 2083), citizens who have completed 16 years of age will have to provide their national identity card number to enroll in, renew or receive health insurance services, under a Board decision of September 28, 2026. Citizens over 90 and people with severe disabilities are exempt. Insured families can use the Board's e-portal for enrollment, renewal and updating their details, and those who did not give an ID number earlier can provide it at the health institution when they seek care.

The Board has also opened a digital group enrollment and renewal service on the e-portal for provincial and local governments, which previously followed a paper process of collecting details, submitting forms to district offices and paying contributions separately. Local governments now enter details from their own dashboard, the system produces the insurance cards, and contributions are paid through the portal. Access was first given to Gokarneshwor and Kapilvastu municipalities. Board information officer Bikesh Malla said the system would particularly help remote local governments, which had to travel to district headquarters or use a bank to pay contributions.