Monday August 18, 2025
By The NewsDESK |
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has declared that all hands must be on deck to ensure an improved health insurance ecosystem.
The agency’s coordinator for Akwa Ibom, Mr Ebiokobo Williams, stated this while delivering the welcome and keynote address during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Uyo, recently.
He further stated that the aim of the meeting is to review the current system, get feedback and identify areas for improvement.
In the course of his presentation on the theme Towards an Improved Health Insurance Ecosystem, the coordinator stressed that health insurance was not a limitless fund but typically covers a defined set of services based on what’s included in the benefit package.
“Health insurance doesn’t cover everything and it doesn’t pay for care indiscriminately,” Williams said.
He also highlighted the roles of the various stakeholders cum the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) , the Health Care Facilities (HCFs), the State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs) and the enrollees.
Speaking further, he outlined how these various roles were intertwined and ultimately lead to better outcomes for the citizenry.
Williams added that the agency was working to ensure all Nigerians were covered under its various programmes with the aim of easing the financial burden of health care.
“We are committed to ensuring that HMOs adhere to the guidelines to provide health care services to Nigerians,” stated the state coordinator.
In a bid to encourage the HMOs and HCFs to deliver top-notch services to our enrollees, the agency, Williams hinted recently implemented an upward review of its capitation, fee-for-service and professional services tariffs after an actuarial review.
This measure, the coordinator explained would not entertain service failure of any sort from the HMOs and HCFs.
He reeled out data of HMOs and HCFs that had been sanctioned and delisted due to non-compliance to the guidelines.
Williams also informed the meeting of four HCFs that were directed to refund over N300, 000 to enrollees in Akwa Ibom within the first half of this year, after the intervention of the state office.
He later enumerated the programmes and interventions of the authority viz-a-viz the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) which includes coverage for pregnant women, children-under-five, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
Also , the formal sector programme meant for civil servants , the group , individual, Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP) which has four categories: general, constituency , retirees and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members .
The executive secretary, Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency (AKSHIA) , Dr Igbemi Igbemi , ably represented by Dr Edikan Ackley, head of Standards and Quality Assurance Department in the agency commended the NHIA for providing leadership, guidance and direction in the health insurance ecosystem in Nigeria.
He acknowledged the support and collaboration they have enjoyed from the Akwa Ibom office of the NHIA; stressing that they laid a good foundation for AKSHIA to build upon and to make integration seamless particularly in the BHCPF operations .
Ackley reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the NHIA and other stakeholders.
Interestingly, in the NHIA – Fistula Free Programme (NFFP) , 80 women had been treated for VVF cases and ultimately enrolled into health insurance through the AKSHIA.
The NHIA-ROCHE cancer cost-sharing initiative meant to make cancer treatment more affordable for low-income patients has been activated in tertiary hospitals in Calabar , Bauchi , Lagos , and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) among others .
Furthermore, the National Health Insurance Authority- HIV Tuberculosis programme meant to cover People Living with HIV Drug Resistant TB (HIV-TB) have commenced in four states as pilot viz and which are: Anambra, Ebonyi, Gombe and Kwara.
A presentation at the forum titled: NHIA’s Innovative Strategies for Expanding Coverage was delivered by Anietie Asanga, a pharmacist and- enforcement officer in the state office.
Her presentation dwelt on the various interventions to support vulnerable persons such as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) with four facilities empowered to provide this service at University of Uyo Teaching Hospita (UUTH), General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, Immanuel General Hospital, Eket and St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua where a total of 646 women have accessed care in less than a year that the programme commenced.
Having implemented an upward review of tariffs, the NHIA is committed to ensuring that HMOs and HCFs adhere to the regulations to provide quality health care services to Nigerians. This was emphasised in another presentation by enforcement officer titled: Quality Health Care Delivery where the enforcement officer stressed clearly defining the agency’s expectations from the HCFs in terms of quality of care and patient safety that should lead to good clinical outcomes.
Some participants interviewed expressed satisfaction with the responses provided to the questions raised during the engagement.
They also acknowledged an improvement in the issuance of referral codes by HMOs timeously following the directive of one-hour deadline given to the HMOs by the NHIA.
This intervention is a bold step towards improving efficiency and ensuring that every enrollee enjoys the full benefits of the health insurance without bottlenecks.
Pensioners would be enrolled in the NHIA scheme from the year 2026.
It is believed that with everything put in place, everyone will actually receive better health care.
