The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has reiterated that the NHIA Act 2022 did not mandate a 15 per cent deduction from monthly salaries as health tax.
Its Director-General, Prof. Mohammed Sambo who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said denied that he said so.
Sambo was reacting to newreports, which states that the Federal Government, employers and employees would be mandated to contribute 15 per cent of their salaries to the new National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) scheme.
Sambo said he has dissected the issue and sources of funding of the 83 million vulnerable Nigerians targeted for health insurance inclusion.
He said there was no part of the NHIA Act that has conveyed a mandatory 15 per cent health tax on salaries, describing the report as lies promoted by unscrupulous elements in the healthcare system to destabilise the new Act put in place to bring about an unprecedented reform in the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
He said: “I have dissected all the contents of the Act to journalists and there was nowhere I mentioned 15 per cent. You have received that report. Am I the one that will interpret the content of the Act or is it somebody from the back side that will come and interpret the Act? So, why is somebody trying to put something that is not there? That’s my question. I have convened a very comprehensive meeting with all the media representatives.
“And I had taken time to explain the contents of the new law. I did not mention anything about 15 percent. There used to be 15 per cent before salary was consolidated and ever since salary was consolidated in 2004 nobody has been talking about 15 percent.
“I have met with service providers. I have met with international partners, Health Maintenance Organisation (HMOs). I have met with Chief Medical Director (CMDs) and medical directors stating the mechanisms of dissemination of information. So, if I am doing this, I should be allowed to complete the cycle of disseminating information.
“In any case, you go and read it. It is not even an executive law, it is legislative. In fact, you can even go and ask the people that passed that law. I have explained it time and time to the media. My Legal Department has gone through every portion of the Act and we have disseminated it. Why are you so bothered about 15 per cent? Is there any mention of 15 per cent?
“In fact, there was nothing to change as per the contribution of workers as a result of this. No. The contribution remains constant.
“The five per cent we are getting is the five per cent of consolidated revenue, being a consolidated salary of a worker coming to us. So, nobody is talking about a 15 per cent of health tax on workers’ salaries.’’