The National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The National Health Insurance Scheme Act of 2004 is repealed by the new law, which will benefit 83 million Nigerians.
President Buhari claimed the new law contains provisions for the establishment of a trust fund “to assure the coverage of 83 million impoverished Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as suggested by the Lancet Nigeria Commission” during the signing of the bill.
During the signing of the law, Garba Shehu cited his principal as saying that a fund would be established “to ensure coverage of 83 million impoverished Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as suggested by the Lancet Nigeria Commission.”
The President was quoted saying;
“For the large number of vulnerable individuals who are not able to pay health insurance premiums, a Vulnerable Group Fund will be set up to include a component of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund due to the Authority, Health Insurance Levy, Special Intervention Fund, and any investment proceeds, donations, and gifts to the Authority.”
The Authority would work with state government Health Insurance Schemes to accredit primary and secondary health institutions as well as enroll Nigerians in the program, according to Buhari.
This is part of a larger effort to assure the provision of high-quality health care. The Authority and state governments will be able to build information management systems and digital records under the new Act, which will improve data collecting, monitoring, and quality assurance.
Buhari also called on the Health Reform Committee to collaborate with state governments, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure that the new Act’s contents are implemented.
