The House of Representatives has lamented the poor services rendered by the National Health Insurance Authority to Nigerians.
The House has therefore mandated the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to appear before the House and liaise with the House Committee on Healthcare Services to ascertain and examine the impact of the NHIS on healthcare delivery in Nigeria, the challenges and possible solutions to all of them.
The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a ” Motion On Matter Of Urgent Public Importance On The Need To Investigate The Challenges Facing The national health insurance Scheme (NHIS) And Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) In Nigeria”, sponsored by Mr. Billy Osawaru .
Leading the debate on the motion, Mr. Osawaru said that the House Aware that National Health Insurance Scheme Act 1999 was to provide access to good healthcare services for Nigerians and protect families from financial hardship due to huge medical bills.
“Also aware that the said 1999 NHIS Act was replaced with the Nigeria National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIA) 2022 which mandates mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians and legal residents, and aim to achieve universal health coverage.
” This Act provides a framework for a comprehensive, accessible, and affordable healthcare system with key objectives to promote, regulate and integrate health insurance schemes, as well as ensuring access to quality healthcare for all,” he said.
He also said that the House notes that NHIS contracts with HMOs to provide these healthcare services to beneficiaries who are Federal and State government workers, private sector workers and other Nigerians and these HMOs, in turn, contract with healthcare providers (hospitals, clinics) to offer these services to NHIS beneficiaries.
” Informed that despite its potential, the NHIS and HMOs have faced numerous challenges, including low coverage, inadequate funding and inefficient service delivery, as many Nigerians continue to face significant barriers in accessing quality healthcare due to financial constraints and inadequate healthcare infrastructure;
” Worried that despite efforts to increase coverage and improve the welfare thro quality healthcare delivery, only about 5% of Nigerians are enrolled in the NHIS and the said 5% are facing numerous challenges such as poor-quality services, limiteg access to medications as beneficiaries complain about out-of-stock medications, lack of quality medications and high incidence of out-of-pocket payments despite being insured.
“Also worried that despite the efforts of the government to adequately back the NHIS, its funding is generally considered inadequate and this causes delay in payment to healthcare providers (Hospital/Clinics) by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and this in turn affects the quality of services rendered to beneficiaries.
“Further worried that this delays in payment to healthcare providers by HMOs, the hospitals and clinic, who render these services now choose to play with the health of the citizens which in some cases result to an avoidable death of subscribers; these and many more they have always exhibited such as choosing the kind, quality or rate of drugs they administer to NHIS subscribers, limiting them to a particular doctor or general practitioners even when one requires to see a consultant, limiting the kind of X-rays, scan test to do, and above all, the beneficiaries or subscribers of NHIS will not be covered for some surgeries as low as Cesarean Section (CS) in childbirth and Appendectomy (to remove appendix).
” Concerned that if the Challenges of NHIS and HMOs are not addressed, Nigerians who are the beneficiaries will continue to face barriers in accessing quality healthcare services, exacerbating health disparities and force out-of-pocket payment for healthcare services which will increase financial hardship,” the motion said.
The House of Representatives in adopting the motion mandated the House Committees on Healthcare Services and Health Institutions to investigate the reasons behind the underperformance of the NHIS in Nigeria, identify areas for improvement and recommend solutions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the NHIS and report back to the House within 4-weeks.
Confidence Okwuchi