News
Anambra’s Health Insurance Program Enrolls 65,000 People from the Informal Sector –
Anambra’s Health Insurance Program Enrolls 65,000 People from the Informal Sector –
This figure is estimated to represent 43% of the scheme’s total enrollment.
NewsReport Nigeria June 2, 2021
Since its inception in 2017, the Anambra Health Insurance Scheme has enrolled 65, 000 people from the informal sector, accounting for 43% of overall enrolment.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday, Simeon Onyemaechi, the executive secretary of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), revealed this.
NewsReport Nigeria gathered that Mr. Onyemaechi, a medical practitioner, stated that as a result, the state’s health insurance has become the “most patronized” by informal sector health insurance payers throughout the country.
This online information understands that the achievement was credited to the Willie Obiano administration’s determined endeavor to ensure that every Anambra resident has access to high-quality, low-cost healthcare.
The executive secretary stated that a large percentage of private insurance enrollees reside in rural areas and that the agency was implementing mobile health insurance technologies to improve access to community residents.
According to him, ASHIA is Nigeria’s leading health insurance system, with representatives from 11 states visiting to examine its concept, which includes giving remote support to others.
He said that the agency’s informal sector paid the highest premiums in Nigeria for health insurance.
“At the moment, we have over 65, 000 informal sector enrollees, which equals roughly 43% of total enrolment, which is unparalleled in the country.
“Because a substantial portion of these people lives in rural regions, we have completed our mobile health insurance system, which the governor will launch soon,” said the governor.
“This is aimed at rural communities in order to boost enrollment in those areas.
“With that, people will not need to travel to the city for registration; they would be able to register from the comfort of their own homes using a mobile phone,” he explained.
Mr. Onyemaechi stated that ASHIA employs roughly 250 healthcare providers across the state, all of whom are rigorously watched and sanctioned as necessary.
“If a referral is required, the patient will be correctly referred, but it is inappropriate for someone with mild malaria to want to see a doctor right away.
“We must address this, and health insurance is designed to do so; this will alleviate the load on tertiary institutions.
He explained, “We monitor our healthcare providers, we have an effective quality control department, and when there are service concerns, the enrollee should phone us using the number provided on the back of their cards.”
ASHIA was founded in 2017 with the goal of increasing social health insurance as a percentage of overall health expenditure in Anambra from less than 1% to at least 90% by 2030.
