NHIS says universal health insurance is possible

The Acting Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Abdulrahman Sambo, on Wednesday said that universal health insurance coverage by 2015 was possible through commitment from all stakeholders.
Sambo said this in a statement signed by Hannatu Ardo, NHIS’s Head, Media and Public Relations, in Abuja.
He said the commitment was possible if the Act establishing the scheme was made mandatory for all to participate.
He canvassed for funds from the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme to be set aside for those who were economically challenged and could not afford to pay their contribution.
He said: “Health insurance is all about contribution, it is not a free health system; those who are capable of contributing should be compelled to do so.
“Universal coverage is possible when stakeholders commit to this goal; if this succeeds, vulnerable ones will be covered under the special subsidy fund.”
Sambo said that the scheme had consolidated the health insurance industry and improved the operational guideline to attain the current trend in the health sector.
He stressed that the NHIS had made tremendous strides in achieving qualitative health care delivery for the people in spite of the lacuna in the law establishing the scheme.
He said the stride led the management and other stakeholders in the industry to be determined to see that the NHIS Act was repealed.
In the informal sector, the NHIS boss said the scheme had extended coverage to seven states in Nigeria and was still counting.
“We have identified 111 communities to integrate into the Community Based Health Programme; this project has yielded positive result in bringing health insurance closer to the rural people,” Sambo said.
He added that the scheme aimed to cover the whole country in the next three years.