The poor structure of the Act establishing Nigeria’s Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is the major cause of various crises that have trailed the scheme over the years, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has said.


The minister also linked the inability of the scheme to cover majority of Nigerians, more than a decade after its establishment, to loopholes in Act.

He insisted the Act should have made health insurance compulsory for all Nigerians.

“The Act made insurance voluntary and that is why we are supporting National Assembly to repeal the Act and put in place a comprehensive package. Let it be comprehensive because it cannot be voluntary. There is need for review of the Act and it is ongoing.

I can tell you today that no Executive Secretary of NHIS has completed a full term in office without being sacked or suspended, apart from Mohammed Dogo, the pioneer ES, so it’s not just about this administration,” Adewole said.

He noted that social media has made information readily accessible and available. It made things look as if it is only now that these things are happening, it used to happen before. We are asking the presidential panel to take a more holistic look at the NHIS, to review the Act of the scheme.





The Act seems to have given so much power to the governing board,” Adewole noted.

“The governing council, by that Act, was given the power to do whatever is necessary to keep the scheme running. If the council now thinks it is important to do anything to keep the scheme running, nobody can say no,” Adewole said.

That is why we say the Act needs to be revised and be more specific. If you look closely, it is as if the council does almost everything there.

The Act is one of the major issues with the scheme. Why NHIS has not covered majority of Nigerians, is because it is voluntary.

When it is voluntary, it makes people not take it seriously. Our disposition- as Nigerians, (is that) we don’t take our health critical. We don’t even treat our body the way we treat our car.

When we wake up in the morning, you have a car you clean it up, you test the engine oil, you test the water level etc. Many people don’t treat their body as well as they treat their cars.

When it comes to health, nobody wants to pay for health. We all want it free and that is why, for us to make it free, somebody has to pay for it. In the UK, the health insurance is there but it’s being funded, essentially, by taxation. What we need to look at in NHIS is – how do we put more money in health, put more resources together, to take care of every body and ensure maximum coverage?” he said.

While millions of Nigerians remain uncovered, the few enrolled under the scheme are complaining of inadequate service delivery.

Since its establishment 13 years ago, a majority of Nigerians are yet to be covered under the scheme.

The agency said last year that over 90 per cent of Nigerians are not captured under the NHIS.

Many have traced the relative poor coverage to the structure of the scheme, which has been tainted with financial irregularities gone unchecked.

The governing board of NHIS, last October, raised an alarm that the agency is near a “tipping point” and may collapse within the next three years, unless urgent measures are taken.

With a new Act, practitioners in the health sector believe a more efficient way the scheme should function, will be clearly stated.




SOURCE: http://www.barbaric.com.ng/nhis-crisis-analysed-by-health-minister-isaac-adewole

The cause of it all is POVERTY. How can you enlighten a person that can barely afford three square meals to come and buy insurance and pay monthly premiums?

Buhari is a failure


No condition is permanent, what about fallen breasts? any hope for them to rice again?

Mandatory pensions is the next best thing after the pension act.

Increased health benefits for our country and depth of our capital markets..

'The minister also linked the inability of the scheme to cover majority of Nigerians, more than a decade after its establishment, to loopholes in Act"


who created the mess in the fist place.

If NHIS is made compulsory, that means that premiums for existing subscribers could shoot up, and government could get into debt trying to make sure every Nigerian is covered.

At the end of the day, we take loans to keep up,....or we end up paying hefty taxes.

The reason why premiums will shoot up is because of the poor Nigerians who cannot pay the insurance premiums/coverage, yet would still get covered under a compulsory scheme. At the end of the day, money has to be paid/ the scheme must be paid for, and that means 1) government takes loans 2) government increases/HMO increase premiums on existing customers to make up for potential loses 3) taxes go up.

theoldpretender:
If NHIS is made compulsory, that means that premiums for exisiting subscribers could shoot up, anf government could get into debt trying to make sure every Nigerian is covered.

At the end of the day, we take loans to keep up,....or we end up paying hefty taxes.

This isnt america, low compliance will keep the rates down..

The people en.. If corruption is still in us, it will be difficult for government to make this work.. Because the looting will happen..

OK

chloride6:


This isnt america, low compliance will keep the rates down..

Maybe, but at the same time, more and more people are going to sign up for the scheme (because of massively lower prices).

And what I fear is that government might , in the interest of politics, make it compulsory for every Nigerian to get covered. Which in theory could mean that there are millions of very poor Nigerians who cannot afford monthly premiums, but STILL want to be covered. Somehow the money to pay for coverage must be gotten from somewhere.

Even in America, with Obamacare, it still isn't compulsory per se....STILL....private companies have to earn money...and under Obamacare, they ended up raising the premiums of existing subscribers to cover potential loss...SINCE Obamacare essentially mandated that they cover even the patients that cannot pay

There is a reason why Nigeria is called a poor country.

chloride6:


This isnt america, low compliance will keep the rates down..

One more thing...don't be deceived that there would be low compliance.

Under NHIS...one pays less than 20% of the costs of drugs, and a low percentage for things like admission, procedures (some procedures, eg dialysis ...are under certain circumstances free of charge). Of course...if NHIS was compulsory for all...I will sign up if I was a poor Nigerian with a monthly income of 50000 naira. And since I cannot pay my premiums at all times because I am poor, and HMO's are , under a compulsory programme, mandated to still cover me....what else can a NHIS HMO do but raise premiums on the older subscribers.?

It would be like UPE (Universal Primary Education) of 1976. School fees in primary schools across Nigeria were scrapped...populations in government schools shot up. Naturally the programme was quietly scrapped within 2 years of inception.

theoldpretender:


Maybe, but at the same time, more and more people are going to sign up for the scheme (because of massively lower prices).

And what I fear is that government might , in the interest of politics, make it compulsory for every Nigerian to get covered. Which in theory could mean that there are millions of very poor Nigerians who cannot afford monthly premiums, but STILL want to be covered. Somehow the money to pay for coverage must be gotten from somewhere.

Even in America, with Obamacare, it still isn't compulsory per se....STILL....private companies have to earn money...and under Obamacare, they ended up raising the premiums of existing subscribers to cover potential loss...SINCE Obamacare essentially mandated that they cover even the patients that cannot pay

There is a reason why Nigeria is called a poor country.

Making Health Insurance Compulsory cannot be a bad thing.

The most basic plan will just cover paracetamol and all...

Most poor folks can find their way when they have malaria and typhoid..

The real need for health insurance is when they need new kidneys or some million Naira procedure..

It happens infrequently, but it shatters them when it happens....

Excuse upon excuse.

Get out of the kitchen if you can't stand the heat

enemyofprogress:
Buhari is a failure


No condition is permanent, what about fallen breasts? any hope for them to rice again?

.....but Buhari is more successful than your parents

Tareq1105:



.....but Buhari is more successful than your parents

Buhari is a failure


No condition is permanent, what about fallen breasts? any hope for them to rice again?

Making health insurance compulsory is like asking everybody (whether earning an income or not) to pay tax simply because they exist.

All the bogus allowances being paid to National Assembly members can cover NHIS Scheme.
I honestly think that National Assembly should be scrapped so that the masses csn nr taken care off

I can tell you today that no Executive Secretary of NHIS has completed a full term in office without being sacked or suspended, apart from Mohammed Dogo, the pioneer ES, so it’s not just about this administration,” Adewole said.

Sounds about right...its a cesspit of an Act..

and the HMOs are feeding fat, bribing petitioners and legislators upandan when they get queried by NHIS

panpan:
Making health insurance compulsory is like asking everybody (whether earning an income or not) to pay tax simply because they exist.

Just imagine revenues from one oil well is dedicated to Health and Education in Nigeria....

You seem to know alot about health insurance and financing.

theoldpretender:
If NHIS is made compulsory, that means that premiums for existing subscribers could shoot up, and government could get into debt trying to make sure every Nigerian is covered.

At the end of the day, we take loans to keep up,....or we end up paying hefty taxes.

The reason why premiums will shoot up is because of the poor Nigerians who cannot pay the insurance premiums/coverage, yet would still get covered under a compulsory scheme. At the end of the day, money has to be paid/ the scheme must be paid for, and that means 1) government takes loans 2) government increases/HMO increase premiums on existing customers to make up for potential loses 3) taxes go up.

Is equivalent to persistent right aortic arc.

Be there analysing instead of rolling out the solution or solving it as the minister

A scheme that is made compulsory for undergraduate. You enrolled them in their first year and give them their ID card in their fourth year............nuisance

The Minister should shut up! You can not be a judge in your own case.

Get your PVC Nigerians and lets VOTE out APC. A Party full of lies, blame game, insecurity, shedding of innocent blood, poverty and jeopardizing the future of Nigeria and our unborn children.
We all know its only ATIKU/OBI (PDP) that can stand this corrupt APC that are willing to rig this 2019 election.

Lets VOTE ATIKU/OBI.
VOTE PDP.

Lets get Nigeria working.
God bless you all.

Being an insider in the scheme, the Hon. Minister has a point. But I feel there should be a starting point as there is no perfect system.
The insincerity of stakeholders of the scheme is alarming.
The way forward for now is reviewed legislation and enforcement.

Being an insider in the scheme, the Hon. Minister has a point. But I feel there should be a starting point as there is no perfect system.
The insincerity of stakeholders of the scheme is alarming.
The way forward for now is reviewed legislation and enforcement.