NATIONAL Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) yesterday said treatment of cancer is part of services under health insurance programme, mainly for the poor and vulnerable.
It said to reduce costs associated with procuring health services, especially for cancer, it has partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and specialised health institutions.
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, spoke during a workshop for desk officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja.
Sambo, represented by General Manager of Formal Sector Programme, Dr. Eke Jonathan, said: “What we used to have within NHIS are first generation drugs. But there are newer drugs with better efficacy to take care of cancers.
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“The Roach partnership is giving us some potent drugs we can use. However, many pharmaceutical companies are coming in, not just for cancer. That is within the framework of a bigger picture, which is national health medicine supply. We are liaising with most of the companies to provide drugs for our enrollees.
“When you do certain surgeries for cancer, it is still part of cancer treatment. There are many ways to treat cancer, even radiotherapy, drugs, surgeries, they are covered.
“For cancer care, we have a cost sharing approach. Even with Roach; Roach is taking 50 per cent of the cost, NHIA, 30 per cent, and the enrollee, 20 per cent, which is something. If you look at it in terms of percentage, they have taken 80 per cent from enrollees.”
Permanent Secretary of Service Welfare Office, Mahmud Kambari, represented by, Comfort Adeosun, director of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment in the Office of Head of Civil Service, said: “This programme is organised to educate and provide information to inform decision making by formal sector enrollees, where we fall into as civil servants. If this is not done, it will affect implementation of the new NHIA Act.”