Stories by Stanley Onyekwere
As part its effort towards improving access to effective healthcare services, the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) has commenced the review of its benefit package and operational guidelines.
Speaking at the opening of a four-day review session at the UN House Abuja, the mandate Secretary Health Services and Environment Secretariat ((HSES), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe lauded the technical working group of the FHIS for kickstarting the process.
Dr. Fasawe noted that the FHIS document review became necessary, in order to enable the Schene achieve its goal of providing quality and affordable healthcare to the FCT Residents.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary HSES, Dr. Baba-Gana Adam, the Mandate Secretary said:”You will agree with me that the current economic realities have made it almost impossible to achieving the mandate of the FHIS.
“You will understand this clearly when you hear that that recently reviewed premium of the NHIA is N38,718 per enrollee, per year, while the FHIS is still charging N13,500”.
Earlier, the Acting Director FHIS, Dr Salamatu Belgore, in her remark, disclosed the current documents being reviewed were due in 2025.
Not left out, the WHO FCT Coordinator Dr. Balami Kunshida, and WHO Health Finance lead Dr. Francis Ukwuife advice the review team to ensure the documents reflect what an enrollee will want to see in health insurance.
It was gathered that the review process include stakeholders from the Health Maintenance Organizations, hospitals management board, private hospitals practitioner and others.
However, at the end of the four day review, the documents are expected to be validated by the Mandate Secretary HSES.
