By TAIYE OLAYEMI

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.

The Director-General of NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance which has gained momentum nationwide.

He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.

Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth.

He said that this was driven by stronger collaboration with State Social Health Insurance Agencies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Others included organised labour, employers, the private sector and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.

He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the Federal Government’s health sector reform agenda.

According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

He posited that the key challenge was effective implementation.

“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.

Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.

He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.

According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations and healthcare providers.

He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards.

He said the Authority had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.

Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.

He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.

The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.

He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.

According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.

Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.

He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.

According to him, the Authority’s reforms align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the health sector reforms being coordinated by Muhammad Ali Pate. (NAN)

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