Chidiebele Obika | I-Witness News
Health Insurance expert and Chairman of Forum of CEOs of State Health Insurance Agencies in Nigeria, Dr Simeon Onyemaechi has called on Nigerians to report healthcare providers who are failing in their responsibilities of providing quality healthcare services to health insurance enrolees.
Onyemaechi made the call this morning while appearing on the “Morning Brief” programme on Channels Tv which was anchored by the trio of Kayode Okikiolu, Jeffrey Uzoma and Bukola Coker. He used ASHIA to give example of call lines that beneficiaries can call to complain or report nonattendance, delay, and all manner of poor services stating that someone was available to answer and attend to the issues at all times.
He said all state insurance agencies cover as part of packages offered to enrolees services like hypertension, diabetes, dialysis, and others and clarified further that some states offer free dialysis test.
Onyemaechi who is also the managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra State Health Insurance stated that health insurance was one sure way of achieving universal healthcare coverage as all the 36 states plus the FCT have functional health insurance agency that have desk officers in Local Government Areas that are closer to the people.
” From 2016 till date, enrollments have moved from 5% to about 9% and cost of this prepaid premiums range from N8500 to N15000 depending on state. The role of our governors in ensuring access to quality healthcare services is under-reported. Governors pay subsidies to reduce the burden on beneficiaries. Something that should ordinarily be around N50000 costs only N12000 in Anambra and so varies from state to state.”
He called on the people to embrace health insurance schemes and stop outrageous out-of-pocket health expenses and stated the scheme covered variety of healthcare services including consultancy, pharmaceutical and others.
