Lagos to enroll 2.5m in 2019 as health insurance scheme takes off
The Lagos State government says it is targeting to enroll at least 2.5 million in 2019 as it flags off Nigeria’s largest health insurance scheme aimed at expanding access to healthcare delivery system in the state in line with the global drive for Universal Health Coverage.
The state projects that with the health insurance scheme, health related issues in Lagos will reduce by 10 percent, as it commits to set aside one percent of its consolidated revenue in the 2018 budget to drive the health scheme.
The Lagos State Health Scheme was established by Law No.4 of May, 2015 and was inspired by government’s desire to provide access to affordable and quality healthcare services to all residents of Lagos. The scheme has a designated enrolment points and a licensed health insurance agent- Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA).
Payment for each enrolment is broken down into family and individual premium which can be spread out yearly, quarterly and monthly. For civil servants of the state, the government will pay 75 per cent of their contributions while they will pay 25 per cent from their own salaries.
For family premiums, yearly N40, 000 is defined as father, mother and maximum of four children and the individual premium yearly, the sum of N8, 500 and an additional family member below 18 years enrolment will attract an additional premium of N6, 000.
“I am delighted that we have fulfilled that promise and are gathered at this historic and momentous occasion today for the formal launch of the Lagos State Insurance Health Scheme. It is historic because it marks a distinct milestone in the state government’s effort to ensure the sustained provision of a critical social service to our teeming Lagos population,” said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the launch of the scheme in Lagos on Tuesday.
According to the governor, it is a known fact that out of pocket payment for healthcare deters access to health services especially for indigents and other vulnerable persons in our society.
“The overall goal of this scheme is to ensure that all residents of the State have unhindered access to sustainable, quality and affordable healthcare services with financial risk protection including subsidy from government subsidy,” said Ambode.
Babajide Idris, the commissioner for health, Lagos State said the initiative was put on hold until an enabling environment to implement the Scheme was in place.
“The journey to this historic moment in the history of the State health sector has been a long but purposeful one. A huge chunk of the scheme is directed at the poor to assure affordability and sustainability, ensuring that the basic health needs of the population would be addressed,” he said.
According to Idris, the scheme is a mandatory health insurance programme for all residents of the state, in the design of the benefits package, reviews of the common healthcare challenges and poor health indices especially those centred on both maternal and child morbidity and mortality were carried out to understand the needs of the state’s population and informed the development of the benefits package”.
“Quality care is one of the major features of the scheme and the State has designed a quality Improvement Programme (QIP) for the health care providers participating in the scheme to meet international best practices” he said
Obinnia Abajue CEO of Hygeia HMO Limited, one of the selected Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) described the scheme as a milestone. He said the health of the citizens is a fundamental issue and critical to the out plan of Lagos economy, and so this scheme is very important.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH