The brand new bill repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act which has been in existence since 2004.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022.
Mr Buhari, who disclosed this on his Twitter handle at exactly 5:04 p.m on Thursday, said the event is an element of his administration’s efforts to make sure health coverage for Nigerians.
He said the brand new bill repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act which has been in existence since 2004.
“As a part of our healthcare reforms, I even have signed into law the recently passed National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022, which repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme Act. We are going to ensure the total implementation of the brand new Act, to supply coverage for all Nigerians,” he said.
He said the brand new National Health Insurance Authority will collaborate with state government medical health insurance schemes to accredit primary and secondary healthcare facilities and make sure the enrollment of Nigerians.
The chairman of the country’s Senate committee on health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has consistently advocated the signing of the bill into law because it was passed by the 2 chambers of the National Assembly.
Based on Mr Oloriegbe, who represents Kwara Central within the upper legislative chamber, the brand new bill makes medical health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians.
Health Insurance scheme
To scale back huge out-of-pocket spending for health services, which regularly leaves average and vulnerable Nigerians in penury, the federal government established the NHIS in 2004.
Despite billions pumped into the scheme since its inception 18 years ago, tens of millions of Nigerians still lack access to quality healthcare services.
About eight out of 10 Nigerians do not need medical health insurance cover in Africa’s largest economy, in accordance with a 2021 survey by NOI Polls.
The few individuals enrolled within the scheme complain of inadequate service delivery. They are saying the scheme fails to cover key treatments for serious ailments similar to cancer which could be very expensive and has left many patients and their families with no option than to sell properties to boost funds.
The medical health insurance scheme is one mostly described as fraudulent and an agency that lacks transparency and accountability. As of 2018, two past heads of the agency were accused of fraud.
Vulnerable group fund
Meanwhile, in a press release subsequently issued by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari said a fund can be arrange to make sure coverage of 83 million Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as really helpful by the Lancet Nigeria Commission.
He said the “vulnerable group fund” can be financed through the fundamental health care provision fund, medical health insurance levy, special intervention fund, in addition to any investment proceeds, donations, and gifts to the authority.
He said this may cover the big variety of vulnerable individuals who should not in a position to pay medical health insurance premiums.
