2020 UHC DAY: FHIS Applauds Legislation Making Health Insurance Enrollment Mandatory.

David Barau

  A law compelling all Nigerians to ensure that they register with a social health insurance scheme has been identified as one of the key ways of meeting the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) target by 2030.

  The Director FCT Health Insurance Scheme FHIS, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed-Danfulani gave this advice during a Sensitization and advocacy walk to commemorate this year’s Universal Health Coverage Day.

  Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which seeks to ensure that all persons , everywhere around the world, can get the quality health services they need without financial hardship.

  Speaking on the unimpressive figures of Health Insurance enrollees in Nigeria which is under 5%,  Dr. Danfulani emphasized that only a legislation compelling all forms of workers to register with a scheme will improve enrollment figures.

  “Federal government has already taken a very positive step by setting aside 1% of the consolidated Revenue for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF). This 1% will be used to take care of the needs of the poor and vulnerable in the society”

Dr Danfulani added that all state government’s health insurance schemes are expected to enroll the poor and vulnerable in their respective states,”in FCT we have begun the enrollment of the poor and vulnerable and this will be funded by the federal government” . He said

  The FHIS Director who said that the review of National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS Act which is nearing completion, emphasized that the amendment Act now makes it mandatory for all persons to register under social health insurance scheme.

“The Review law of the National Health Insurance Scheme is almost at the final stage, and it’s clearly stated there that health insurance becomes mandatory for all Nigerians so there will be no excuse for any Nigerian not to enrol with a health insurance scheme, in fact there will be an enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance.

“The problem was the poor and vulnerable persons, who cannot afford to pay, how can we enrol them? now the Federal Government has taken the responsibility to cover the poor and vulnerable persons in the country through BHCPF.” He reiterated.

  Also Speaking during the Advocacy walk and Sensitization, the Deputy Director in charge of FHIS Operations Dr. Amina Zakari said with as little as N13,500 per annum an individual can be covered effectively to include Surgeries, free births and cesarean section up to 4 births, 21 days free hospitalization and much more.

 The 2020 UHC day roadwalk which started from the FHIS Head office in the central business district of Abuja culminated at the Garki Ultra Modern Market, where a play was staged for the traders to drive home the point for Universal Health Coverage.

The theme for the 2020 UHC Day is

#ProtectEveryone #HealthForAll.