FG inaugurates Committee to draft NHIA Act operational guidelines

By Hasan Zaggi

The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee that will draft the operational guidelines of the  National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act.

A statement by the Head, Media and Public Relations of the National Health Insurance Authority, Emmanuel Ononokpono , disclosed that this is in an effort to ensure the smooth implementation of the Act.

It would be recalled that on May 19, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari, announced on his twitter handle that he has signed the National Health Insurance Authourity Bill into law.

“As part of our healthcare reforms, I have signed into law the recently passed National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022, which repeals the National Health Insurance Scheme Act. We will ensure the full implementation of the new Act, to provide coverage for all Nigerians,” he said.

The NHIA Act stipulates  mandatory health insurance for every Nigerian and legal resident. This is to engender the achievement of Universal Health Coverage, UHC, Section 3(b) & 14.

The Act establishes States and FCT Schemes. This is to strengthen collaboration between NHIA and States for the achievement of Universal Health Coverage Sec 13(1).

The Act establishes the Vulnerable Group Fund, identifies the sources of the VGF, disbursement, management, investment, and expenses of the fund. The aim is to provide finance to subsidise the cost of the provision of healthcare services to vulnerable persons in Nigeria Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30.

Third Party Administrators (TPAs) and Mutual Health Association, MHAs,  are included in the 2022 Act for continuous Quality Assurance, community mobilization and sensitisation and any other roles that they are engaged to perform Section 34(4) & 35(1). https://34586c41f1bef8fad3c4174917e993fe.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html While inaugurating the Operations Guidelines Committee in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, disclosed that the operational guidelines is a critical subsidiary body of regulation that was required in setting out the functions of all stakeholders especially within the context of the Act

Represented by the Director General of NHIA, Prof Mohammed Sambo, noted that there has been  series of workshops for all stakeholders in the aftermath of the signing into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He noted that the engagements were just as important for  implementation of the Act.

He stressed the imperatives of inter and intra sectoral collaborations and partnerships in the implementation of the Act.

The Minister, however, stressed noted that the guidelines will set out in greater details issues of duties, responsibilities of various stakeholders and prescribe sanctions for breaches.

On coverage of indigent persons and roles of state health insurance agencies, the Minister observed that  the guidelines will spell out ways and means as well as modus operandi, with a view to addressing them. The committee’s membership which is drawn from health institutions, private sector and academia, has four weeks to complete its assignment.