A-lot have been say about health insurance issue in Nigeria, but nothing much have really been don't about it. Many Nigerians’ hope of access­ing quality healthcare 16 years after the National Health In­surance Scheme was launched might have become a pipe-dream. Some are yet to even hear that name
''Health Insurance Scheme'' while Some Nigerian workers whose establishments subscribed to the policies of various Health Management Organizations (HMOs) ap­pointed to manage the scheme are sad that they are not getting value for their money. some workers in some organizations in Lagos are protesting in their individual closets that HMOs appointed by their companies have not been serving them right. Such workers fear that the HMOs leave specific instruc­tions to the participating hospitals to treat them with cheap drugs in order to cut cor­ners. They further fear that the HMOs have handed the hospitals’ management a ceiling, mandating them not to treat specific ailments if such treatments would attract high costs. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The Scheme established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria, is aimed at providing easy access to healthcare for all Nigerians at an affordable cost through various prepayment systems. the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is the regulatory and umbrella body for Health Insurance. The NHIS provides oversight for the HMOs and other organizations involved in the provision of Healthcare Insurance. The Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are private or public incorporated companies registered by the NHIS solely for the purpose of managing the provision of health care services through Health Care Facilities accredited by the Scheme. But over the years the story have change from bad to worse. Usually, each employee’s wife or husband and four-five children only are benefi­ciaries. Their companies or organisations pay an agreed amount of money to the HMO in line with a laid-out payment plan that covers the cost of treating the beneficiaries within an agreed time frame.
The HMO issues the family members with identification cards which they present at the hospital counter during visits. After treatment, the patient walks away without making payment as the bill will be passed to the HMO. Thereafter the hospital presents evidence of treatment to the HMO in order to collect its money. though when it was initially introduced, a-lot of people keyed into it,. But at some point they had to pull out. reason not far fetch, they pulled out because they learn that HMOs asked the parties involve not to treat their patients with certain drugs in order to cut cost. They even went to the extend of instructing them not to exceed certain levels of costs in the course of treatment. Unbelievable as it might sound, but that's the true.

True