Nasarawa residents upbeat as assembly passes health insurance bill

From Gambo Ahmed Lafia

Nasarawa State House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill for a law to provide for the Nasarawa State Health Insurance Scheme,2018 into law in order to ensure that every resident of the state have access to good health care delivery.
The Speaker of the House Hon.Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi announced the passage of the bill into law after the Majority Leader of the House, Alhaji Tanko Tunga moved a motion for the passage of the bill during the House sitting.
Abdullahi maintained that, the aim of the scheme was to provide mandatory health insurance which shall entitle the insured person, their spouse and four children who are beneficiaries of the scheme to get effective, affordable and minimal cost health care services.
According to him, the scheme shall be mandatory and apply to all residents of the state except those who have proof of coverage by the National Health Insurance Scheme or other health schemes.
He noted that the health insurance scheme would also protect families from financial hardship of huge medical bills.
“The objectives of the scheme shall be to control the rising cost of health care services and to ensure equitable distribution of health care costs among different income groups.
“It is also to maintain high standard of health care delivery services with the scheme and to ensure efficiency in health care services,” he added.
Balarabe Abdullahi said that, the law makes provision for the establishment of the state Health Insurance Agency and Governing Board with the aim to promote, regulate, supervise, implement and ensure effective administration of the scheme.