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Tag: NHIS

  • EFCC recovers another 1.4bn naira for NHIS

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has recovered an additional sum of one billion, four hundred million naira (N1.4 Billion) for the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

    In a statement via its official Twitter handle, the money, according to the commission, was part of the funds which some commercial banks ‘fraudulently’ refused to transmit to the Treasury Single Account, TSA, since 2015.

    The statement further said the money had been released to the NHIS since August 5, 2022.

    It also revealed that the Commission had in similar fashion on February 10, 2022, released a sum of N1.5bn to the scheme.

  • COVID-19: NHIS releases 2nd quarter funds for enrollees

    COVID-19: NHIS releases 2nd quarter funds for enrollees

    The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has effected the immediate release of funds for the payment of capitation and fee-for-service for its enrollees for the second quarter of 2020 to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

    NHIS disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head, Media and Public Relations, Mr Ayo Osinlu on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to Osinlu, the release of the funds from April to June is one of many corporate initiatives of the NHIS to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

    “This is to guarantee uninterrupted access to healthcare services by enrolees of the Scheme in these challenging times.

    “By this timely action, NHIS has ensured that no enrolee will be turned back from any facility for non-payment of appropriate fees by any Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).

    “The Scheme took the step to ensure that the looming threat of COVID-19 is not compounded for the enrolees by inability to access healthcare services at the points of need.’’

    Responding further to the situation, the official said NHIS had issued guidelines to the HealthCare Facilities (HCFs) and the Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) on certain actions to be taken towards protecting the interests of the enrollees in the current situation.

    “These guidelines contain concrete provisions to prevent service failure, and also ensure that enrolees enjoy prompt and effective healthcare services inspite of general restrictions and outright lockdown in certain parts of the country.

    “The guidelines gave clear order to healthcare providers to ensure the safety and protection of their personnel against COVID-19 infection.

    “It provides timely and appropriate level of care for all NHIS enrolees as may be required, and ensure that no NHIS enrollee is denied access to care.

    “It directed the providers to note that all NHIS and HMO Call Centres are open 24hours daily.

    “They are also to ensure the issuance of authorisation codes and resolution of all other issues and ensure prompt report of all cases of denial of authorisation codes by HMOs.

    “Also, the health providers should maintain high index of suspicion and promptly report suspected cases to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control or State Ministries of Health.’’

    On the other hand, he said the guidelines for the HMOs instructed them to also ensure the safety and protection of their personnel against COVID-19 infection.

    “The guideline instructs that HMOs should ensure prompt payment of capitation and fee-for-service to all healthcare facilities.

    “It instructs that HMOS should ensure the provision of timely and appropriate level of care for all NHIS enrolees by the healthcare facilities.’’

    In addition, Osinlu said, the HMOs were required to ensure that no NHIS enrollee would be denied access to care.

    He said that their call centres should to be open 24 hours daily, for prompt issuance of authorisation codes and to resolve all other issues that may arise.

    “They are equally directed to log all cases of issued or denied requests for authorisation code by healthcare facilities.’’

    Meanwhile, he said NHIS would continue to closely monitor the situation, and might revise the guidelines in the light of new developments.

    “The Scheme has in the meantime advised all its stakeholders to adhere strictly to Local, State and Federal Public Health recommendations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country,’’ he added.

  • NHIS supports 17 states to enroll vulnerable population

    NHIS supports 17 states to enroll vulnerable population

    Karu (Nasarawa), Feb. 13, 2020 Prof. Mohammed Sambo, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) says the scheme has provided support to 17 state governments through the Basic Heath Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), to enroll the vulnerable in the society.

    Sambo made the disclosure at a 3-day Strategic Retreat of NHIS organised for State Social Health Insurance Schemes (SSHIS) and other key stakeholders on Thursday in Goshen City, Nasarawa State.

    He said that part of the mandate of NHIS is to support the states to establish SSHIS and also provide some fund for them to enroll the vulnerable population.

    “We have BHCPF; we just started, the first disbursement was done in the 4th quarter, 2019.

    “Already, we have disbursed monies to 17 states in Nigeria so that they can enroll the vulnerable segment of the population,’’ he said.

    Sambo said the retreat would fine-tune framework of how the health insurance could be under one roof and used towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC),’’ he said.

    According to him, state and local governments are supposed to join the scheme when the NHIS started but because it was not mandatory they did not join.

    Sambo said that only employees of the Federal Government and those in private sector were participating in the scheme, noting that the trend led to decentralisation of the scheme.

    He explained that under the new initiative would bring enrollees of the NHIS and SSHIS under one roof to ensure a central coordinating platform.

    The Executive Secretary said that the initiative was aimed at ensuring that health insurance operates under one system with proper coordination and unified data.

    Sambo added that it would also make stakeholders contribute quality decisions towards achieving UHC, based on knowledge of those who were statutorily covered under the formal sector and those not yet covered.

    “This retreat brings all the actors from federal and state levels under the health insurance scheme to come together to create a platform that will enable us to move towards UHC.

    “The NHIS is operating a 2004 law which is solely focused on the formal sector; all the money coming to the NHIS is from contributions from the salary of the public sector workers.

    “Even if the NHIS is performing at its best, it would not have covered more than the people in the formal sector in Nigeria, ‘’ the Executive Secretary said.

    In addition, he said the law had been amended to review the challenges in the sector and strengthen the scheme to achieve its mandate.

    “The position of the amendment now is that because the last senate had passed it, it was not assented to by the president and so the National Assembly (NASS) has re-presented it.

    “In fact it has gone to the second reading and they have called for public hearing next week.”

    Also speaking, Dr Niyi Oginni, the Chairman, Forum of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), State Health Insurance Agencies in Nigeria, said the initiative would  enhance coordination  of the NHIS scheme.

    Ognni said the initiative would also enhance regulation of health insurance in appropriate manner.

    “We are looking at a roof of health insurance under one roof, what constitute the lintel, what constitutes the pillars and what are the things in the foundation.

    “So that when we look at all the components,  we can have a very solid house – health insurance under one roof scheme,’’ he said.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NHIS was established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government to enhance access to quality healthcare service delivery to the people.

  • Suspension of NHIS boss not a witch hunt- SGF

    Suspension of NHIS boss not a witch hunt- SGF

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha has stated that the suspension of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf, was not an attempt to witch hunt him, but rather a strong desire by the Federal Government to set things right.

    The SGF who made this claim yesterday while inaugurating the seven-man Presidential Independent Fact-Finding Panel, said that owing to the recent crisis that has enmeshed the NHIS, President Muhammadu Buhari had deem it necessary to set up this panel.

    “Unfortunately, in recent times, the National Health Insurance Scheme has been embroiled in one crisis or the other. Lately, these imbroglios have degenerated to the purported suspension of the Executive Secretary of the Scheme by its Governing Council, and calls from different quarters for the scrapping of the Health Management Organizations (HMO).

    “It is however very important to note that, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari is very passionate about the healthcare and wellbeing of all Nigerians; and this has informed his administration’s desire to make provision of quality and affordable healthcare as one of its cardinal objectives.

    “As a result of the crisis rocking the Scheme, it has become necessary to constitute this Presidential Independent Fact-Finding Panel to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis,” he stated.

    It was earlier reported that members of the seven-man panel include: Dr. Hassan Bukar, Chairman; Dr. Emmanuel Meribole; Mr Adewale People, Director, Audit, AUGF; Mr. Shamsudeen Bella, Deputy Director Expenditure, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF.

    Other are: Mr. Ishaq Yahaya, Director, Certification and Compliance, Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP; Dr. Ekanem John Udoh, Director of Science, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and Mrs. Jummai Idakwo, Director Administration in the office of the Secretary to the government of the federation.

    The SGF further urged the members of the panel to be non-partisan and dispassionate in the discharge of their assignment, adding that it was a call to national duty.

    Earlier in his remarks, Minister of Health, Prof. Issac Adewale while noting that the problem of the NHIS was deeply rooted, assured of the ministry’s cooperation with the panel.

    “The problem of the NHIS is deeply rooted and it is beyond individuals, and so it is important to look at the NHIS in totality so that we can have a strong institution that will serve the interest of Nigerians,” he added.

    Dr. Hassan Bukar, Chairman of the panel, however assured that they would assiduously with the limited time given to them to meet up with the expectations of the president and Nigerians. The panel has been mandated to report back on its findings within two weeks.