The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Osun has committed to providing better healthcare services for cancer patients registered under its healthcare providers and Health Management Organisations (HMOs).
The state coordinator of the NHIA, Mr Olalekan Falode, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on monday in Osogbo.
Falode revealed that the NHIA has introduced new programs, including the NHIA/Roche initiative for cancer drugs and the Free Fistula Programme (FFP), among other medical care services. He explained that the authority is collaborating with the Roche Pharmaceutical company to produce drugs for cancer patients who are beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“The cancer drugs is done in a way that Roche Pharmaceuticals will pay 50 per cent, NHIA will pay 30 per cent, while the patient will pay 20 per cent due to the cost implication of such drugs.
“When they enrol with us, there’s a 60-day waiting period. If the patient’s name isn’t out yet, they can access 50per cent of medical services. Once their name is released, they’ll enjoy 80per cent of the benefits,” Falode said.
According to him, the essence of the recent stakeholders’ workshop with HMOs, MDAs and others is to inform them about the new changes in the NHIA law .
“Under the new law, beneficiaries are required to registered with health insurance organisations before enjoying such services and each must be a bonafide citizen of Nigeria.
“We have the vulnerable group funds that was created under the new NHIA law of 2022 and such law gives basic healthcare provision fund for our patients,” he said.
Falode said the vulnerable fund provides access to minimum healthcare packages for cancer patients who lack the means and resources to afford them under the law.
“The informal sector have the largest number of vulnerable people compared to the formal sector and they do not have the fund to register. We need to reach them.
“It is with this fund that we provide adequate healthcare services for them as stipulated in the new law of 2022 and that is why we are coming up with FFP, affordable cancer care among others,” he said.
The state coordinator noted that HMOs are now on their toes due to the new law, which empowers NHIA to withdraw, fine, or sanction non-compliant bodies.
He added the new NHIA law also empowers HMOs enrollees to acquire authorization codes in accredited hospitals within an hour for better healthcare services.
