Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city, is among the few states in the country on the verge of kick-starting its state-run health insurance scheme to drive Universal Health Coverage .
They spoke during a series of engagements with some Senior Executive Course participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, between Monday and Tuesday. He said the free-health scheme was supposed to provide care for three categories of citizens: Children under 12; elderly over 60 years; state public servants; pregnant women and the destitute.
Bayo Aderiye, the chairman, Health Service Commission, in his presentation, said the government resolved to make the scheme compulsory for all residents to avoid the mistake made in the uptake of the National Health Insurance Scheme , which was made optional. He said the uptake of the scheme will mark the end of free healthcare for every segment of the population in the state, “since the law envisages that no resident will be left behind by the time full implementation starts.”Earlier, Mr Fawambo, CMD Lagos University Teaching hospital, detailed how the scheme will be run.“In family enrolment, the beneficiary is expected to pay a premium of N40,000 yearly per family of six while a single enrollee will pay N8,500.
With health insurance, it is believed that out-of-pocket expenditure for health, which has placed many families in severe financial dearth will be relegated.