Health
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the new act recently signed into law guarantees mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians.
Mrs Margaret Moffi, State Coordinator of NHIA in Cross River, said this on Thursday in Calabar at a sensitisation meeting on the benefits of the NHIA programmes.
The meeting was also held to address other issues from stakeholders.
Moffi said that the new act, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in May, made it mandatory for all Nigerians to have access to health insurance irrespective of their locations.
According to her, the goal of the Authority is to ensure the attainment of universal health coverage in Nigeria.
She noted that NHIA has initiated programmes to ensure that state governments are in tandem with the activities of the Authority.
She said that under NHIA GIFSHIP programme, an individual needs to pay the sum of N45,000 to benefit from the yearly healthcare service package.
Moffi said that the scheme also guarantees that such an individual have the leverage to add two beneficiaries under him/her.
The State Coordinator explained that a family needs to pay N60,000 for four persons while group programme starts from 10 persons which goes for N150,000 respectively.
“The new Act started in May 2022; it is now mandatory for all Nigerians to enroll into the Authority because there is a law backing it now.
“We expect to see state governments and other top government officials coming up to get the group, individual, family and social health insurance programme for their constituents.
“Between May 2022 till date, we have about 300 persons who have come to enroll into the programme in Cross River,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Godwin Iyala, Director General, Cross River Heath Insurance Authority, described health insurance as a “money saver” for the beneficiaries.
According to Iyala, health insurance provides a platform towards universal health coverage.
He lauded the NHIA for setting in place modalities for the seamless coverage of all applicants of the programme across the state.
Stakeholders at the sensitisation workshop include medical practitioners from tertiary and secondary institutions, military/paramilitary personnel among others. (NAN)
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Tags: Dr Godwin Iyala Margaret Moffi NHIA
