The health concerns of at least eighty-three million Nigerians are set to be covered as President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 into law.
This is according to a statement released by presidential aide Garba Shehu on Thursday which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York.
He said the bill repeals ‘the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, Cap N42, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004’.
Garba Shehu quoted his principal as saying during the signing of the law that a Fund will be set up ‘to ensure coverage of 83 million poor Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as recommended by the Lancet Nigeria Commission’.
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‘For the large number of vulnerable individuals who are not able to pay health insurance premiums, a Vulnerable Group Fund will be set up to include a component of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund due to the Authority, Health Insurance Levy, Special Intervention Fund, and any investment proceeds, donations, and gifts to the Authority,’ Buhari was quoted as explaining.
Buhari noted that the Authority will liaise with state government Health Insurance Schemes to accredit primary and secondary health facilities and enroll Nigerians into the scheme.
This is part of moves to ensure the delivery of quality health care. The new Act also enables the Authority and state governments to develop information management systems and digital records to enhance data collection, monitoring, and quality assurance.
The Nigerian leader, therefore, urged the Health Reform Committee to work with state governments, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure the implementation of the articles in the new Act, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian leader has been heavily criticised for often embarking on medical tourism in the UK.