April 8: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has reached an agreement with 44 hospitals across the country on the matter relating to the coverage of medical expenses spent by its contributors. As per the agreement, the people who are enrolled under the SSF do not have to visit the fund's office to claim the payments after medical treatment.    
To get the facility, the contributors should show an identity card provided by the SSF to get the provided discounts on medical expenses.    
As per the agreement, they have to pay only 20 per cent amount of the total expenses spent in course of taking healthcare facilities while the rest expenses will be covered under the SSF.    
Joint Spokesperson at the Fund, Rohit Regmi, said the contributors would be free from the hassle of claiming the payments to cover expenses spent in healthcare service under the medicines, healthcare and safe maternity programme, and the accident and disability scheme, later from such hospitals.    
Under the SSF, the contributors can receive healthcare service from nine hospitals of Koshi and Madhes Provinces each, 20 of Bagmati Province, two of Gandaki province and four of Lumbini Province.    
In other cases, the contributors have to claim the payments for covering medical expenses by submitting necessary documents at the fund's office while availing treatment facility from any other hospitals listed with the fund. -- RSS