NHIS encourages states to establish insurance scheme

The Executive Secretary, NHIS, Dr Femi Thomas, who made this known recently at a workshop on  NHIS Plus programme, encouraged them to also make the NHIS mandatory in their states through their states national assembly. According to him states could also create programmes for formal and informal sector as well as equity banks for the […]

The Executive Secretary, NHIS, Dr Femi Thomas, who made this known recently at a workshop on  NHIS Plus programme, encouraged them to also make the NHIS mandatory in their states through their states national assembly.
According to him states could also create programmes for formal and informal sector as well as equity banks for the poor and vulnerable people.
“Some percentage of the National Health Act which has just been passed can actually go through these equity banks for the vulnerable people in the society.”
He  assured that any state who gets his House of Assembly to pass the Health Insurance Bill, making it mandatory would be supported with  a study tour and other benefits.
The NHIS boss charged Health Management Organisations (HMOs) to use their links within the formal and informal sector to get states to enroll into the NHIS programme.
“It is now the HMOs and health facilities that will now market the new platform. The new platform is so robust and easy to manage. People can pay as you go per day or per week.
He also revealed a directive from the Nigerian Universities Commission to enrol staff of universities, with about 4 million lives.
He said the scheme has four programmes that can lead the country to universal health coverage, saying, “the language worldwide now is universal coverage. It can also be termed a household name in the comity of  experts in health care financing.”
In the NHIS Plus,  the standard  benefit package is the benchmark, Its designed for people who wants services more than what is designed for the standard package.