The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is developing a “Health Insurance Under One Roof”, to reduce bottlenecks in service delivery.
Health Insurance under One Roof is an initiative aimed at ensuring that health insurance operates under one system with proper coordination and unified data.
Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, made this known during a three-day Strategic Retreat of NHIS, State Social Health Insurance Schemes (SSHIS) and other key stakeholders in Goshen City, Nasarawa State.
Prof. Sambo said the initiative became necessary due to lack of coordination, fragmentation and operational disunity existing in health insurance industry.
According to him, the initiative will specify areas of coverage for SSHIS and other stakeholders in the sector.
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He said that NHIS law was going through review to make health insurance mandatory for those that have not been covered by the scheme.
“We are looking at some innovative financing to cover the vulnerable group and we are going to determine who to cover the group,’’
The Executive Secretary, however, solicited the support of the Nigeria Labour Congress to achieve the mandate of providing health insurance for Nigerians to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In his remarks, President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba said the issue of health insurance could not be completed without the contribution of NLC.
The president said the congress was passionate about it and would do everything possible to support the NHIS in his mandate of achieving UHC.
“Health is a fundamental human right and it is a key index in measuring development so we will continue to partner with you to ensure that the scheme succeeds,’’ he said.
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Wabba a former member of the Governing Council of NHIS, while addressing newsmen, called for increased funding into NHIS to address most of the health challenges in the country.
He said increased funding in the scheme would address the issue of medical tourism and emerging diseases.
“It is good idea to have a specific tax that will be able to make fund available and that is the reason why I am supporting luxury or telecom tax to increase funding for the scheme.
“Achieving UHC should be a priority of every government because health of our citizens is central to every aspect of development.
“It is important to have increased funding for the scheme so that every Nigerian, including the vulnerable group will have access to health insurance,’’ he said.
He, however, expressed trust in the new leadership of NHIS saying: “ now we are making some progress , we have transparency and accountability in the scheme.
“There is also direction and impetus in the reforms agenda carried out by the new management of the scheme,’’ he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the retreat which started on Tuesday and will end on Thursday.
Participants are discussing ways of re-positioning the scheme towards attainment of UHC, health insurance in Nigeria: the journey so far, among others.
The theme of the retreat is Health Insurance under One Roof as coordinating mechanism for achieving UHC. (NAN)
