The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent approval of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act 2021 as a watershed moment for all stakeholders in Nigeria’s health insurance industry.
Dr. Omolayo Taiwo, Head, Health Insurance Department (States), Ado-Ekiti, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Taiwo, the players include the Agency, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), enrollees, and even healthcare providers.
He explained that under the Act, every player in the authority had their roles and responsibilities well defined, with the agency’s well-structured regulatory functions under its current innovative leadership.
According to him, electronic data management is a key component of the Act.
As a workaround, he stated that the new Act enabled the authority and state governments to develop information management systems and digital records for better data collection, monitoring, and quality assurance.
“As a healthcare provider under this Act, I am aware that the agency has organised a number of stakeholders forum during which the implementation of electronic data management was discussed.
“This is to ensure accurate data entry even from the end user.
“ I am also aware of the collaboration between the NHIA and other data management agencies of government for the success of this programme,” he said.
Taiwo maintained that the Nigerian people were the greatest beneficiary of the Act because of its robust provisions for every sector of the Nigerian life.
“Firstly, the multifaceted nature of the authority solves the problem of inclusion; everyone will be captured by one authority or the other.
“The children, students, the formal and informal sector, the elderly and even the indigents are provided for under this Act,’’ he said.
Taiwo also explained that adequate provision was made within the Act to ensure continuous supply of funds to subsidise the vulnerable and sponsor the indigent in the society.
“The other one is the standardisation of the minimum acceptable quality of coverage for all health insurance schemes in Nigeria.
“This means that the minimum acceptable coverage by federal, state or private health insurance schemes will be standardised nationally. This will really improve the standard of healthcare in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Taiwo also explained that adequate provision was made within the Act to ensure continuous supply of funds to subsidise the vulnerable and sponsor the indigent in the society.
“The other one is the standardisation of the minimum acceptable quality of coverage for all health insurance schemes in Nigeria.
“This means that the minimum acceptable coverage by federal, state or private health insurance schemes will be standardised nationally. This will really improve the standard of healthcare in Nigeria,’’ he said.
According to Taiwo, working with the state government’s health insurance authority has become mandatory in accordance with the President under the new law.
This, he said, would be accomplished by empowering them to accredit primary and secondary healthcare facilities and ensure Nigerian enrollment.
He stated that, with the establishment of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the Act, state governments were required to operate a health insurance scheme or contract with a third party.
Taiwo said “And with health being on the concurrent list of the Nigerian constitution, collaboration between the state and the national authority will always be pivotal to the success of this Act.
“This is adequately provided for by this Act, besides, the agency regulates all insurance schemes in the country and this includes the state health insurance schemes,” he said.
The official said that the relationship was not just that of a regulator, as strong collaboration was being fostered between these agencies of government.
“You may be aware that one of the policies thrust of the NHIA is what is called ‘Health Insurance Under One roof’.
“This is targeted at ensuring strong collaborations between the state and the federal agencies.’’
