The Federal Government has made access to health insurance mandatory for all employers and employees in public, private, and informal sectors.
This followed when the Federal Government noted that only states with established health insurance schemes and contributory schemes would benefit from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2021 last week to repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004.
Under the previous Act, states were required to pay a 50 percent counterpart fund to access the total fund for the BHCPF.
It is reported that Buhari’s signing of the new Act is part of the moves by the FG to ensure that Nigeria achieves Universal Health Coverage, a Sustainable Development Goal by 2030.
Section 13, subsection 8 of the newly signed Act, provided that
“Every state that has established a State Health Insurance or Contributory Scheme and complies with this Act’s requirements shall be eligible to participate in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund as established under the National Health Act and its guidelines.”
