The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) strives to create a brighter future for every Nigerian, where comprehensive healthcare becomes a fundamental right for all by synergising expertise and resources.
Ambassador Theodore Ehanire, Edo State Coordinator, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), made this statement at the NHIA quarterly Stakeholders / Enrollee Forum that held on Wednesday.
The forum which was organize to create an avenue in getting feedbacks from the enrollees on National Health Insurance Authority was held in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
While empasising the importance of enroling on the NHIA platform, Ambassador Theodore Ehanire, Edo State Coordinator, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), stated that the Nigerian Government signed into law the new National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) 2022 on the 19th of May, 2022.
Ambassador Theodore added that the National Health Insurance Authority replaces the National Health Insurance Scheme Act of 1999, which failed to enroll more than 10% of the Nigerian population, noting that the NHIA seeks to promote, regulate and integrate health insurance schemes.
The forum which featured interactive, questions and answers sessions, was organized to know how the enrollees are being treated in their various healthcare facilities and to ascertain if enrollees benefit packages are rightly provided by the various hospitals which are the set of services that are provided for beneficiaries of the scheme. It includes healthcare service and drugs that are defined for enrollees.
“The essence of the program was to hear the enrollees speak on what they are going through in their various healthcare facilities. The forum brings some of the enrollees together to tell how they feel about NHIA program, ” Ambassador Theodore Ehanire said.
“There is an “Operational Guidelines” which binds the enrollees and health care facilities, so any healthcare facility that does contrary to the Operational Guidelines will be violating the law. National Health insurance Authority can delist any hospital or Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) that fail to comply by the rules,” Theodore added.
Mr. Orumwense James, Edo State Coordinator, National Teacher Institute and Vice Chairman, Committee of Health Federal Establishment, urged NHIA to constantly monitor the activities of each healthcare facilities and to continually engage the enrollees.
