The Kwara State government will pay an average of N1.35 billion annually for the health care insurance premiums of poor expectant mothers, children, the aged and other special segments of the population in the newly launched state Health Insurance Scheme (KWHIS).
This will accrue from the state government’s contribution of one per cent of the annual consolidated revenue fund to pay for the poorest of the society through equity fund, Governor Ahmed has said.
He said that 40 per cent of the funds would come through the ‘saving one million lives performance for results initiative’— an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, supported by the World Bank and targeted towards the improvement of maternal and child health in Nigeria.”
Governor Ahmed said this during the launch of the KWHIS in Ilorin, the state capital He added that an initial N200m had been set aside as the state’s capitalisation of (Kwara Health Insurance Law (KHIF) to ensure the scheme is well funded.
With this development health insurance is now compulsory for all residents of the state.
He called on residents to register and take advantage of the statewide scheme to access affordable health care delivery in the state.
The governor maintained that the launching had taken the state closer to achieving the dream of universal health coverage by making the scheme accessible and compulsory to all citizens and residents.
The governor added that “the Kwara Health Insurance Law also provides for the establishment of the Kwara Health Insurance Fund, KHIF, which will pool resources from various sources including premium contribution from residents, the state government subsidy for the very poor, multi-lateral grants, donations, support from the Federal Government and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)”.
“I have no doubt that this scheme is primed for success not only because it is guaranteed to be sustainable, well-funded and well managed, but also because it will leverage digital technology to promote efficiency, and transparency”, Ahmed said.
Said he: “Between 2007and 2016 the state government in collaboration with the Government of Netherlands (through the Dutch Health Insurance Fund and PharmAccess Foundation) and Hygeia Health Management Organisation implemented CHIS which leveraged health insurance for healthcare delivery to the rural poor.
Under the Kwara CHIS, we provided the policy framework for the scheme as well as part funding of the premium subsidy to the tune of N1.1billion.
“The Dutch Government also funded the larger portion of the subsidies while the Hygeia HMO provided the administrative framework for the participation of both public and private healthcare providers.
By the end of 2016, Kwara CHIS had achieved the significant successes including the enrolment of 139,714 persons from low income rural areas in 11 local government areas.
“Based on the urgent need to improve access to universal healthcare, it became necessary to expand CHIS which was considered narrow in scope due to its selective focus. The old scheme, therefore, had to be replaced with a wider-spread, comprehensive, better-funded and managed scheme.
“Consequently, I signed Kwara State Health Insurance Agency Bill into law in November 2017. The law sets up the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme, which makes contributory health insurance mandatory for all residents of Kwara State.
“This law replaces the Community Health Insurance scheme and ensures universal health coverage to all citizens and residents of the state for a low annual premium.
Following today’s launch of the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme, all citizens and residents of Kwara State are expected to enroll on the program as required by the law establishing it.
No more will citizens and residents of the state be unable to access critical treatment because they cannot afford to pay hospital fees or buy prescribed drugs.
“Thanks to its low, affordable premium and associated quality healthcare, the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme takes us closer to our dream of universal healthcare for our people.
“Specifically, the benefit packages of the health insurance scheme will reflect preventive and curative components of health care delivery and will have minimum standards of care and service from participating health care facilities in the public and private sector.
“In addition, the law also provides for the establishment of the Kwara Health Insurance Fund (KHIF). KHIF will pool resources from various sources including premium contribution from residents, the State
Government subsidy for the very poor, multi-lateral grants, donations, support from the Federal Government and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“Furthermore, we are boosting the scheme with forty per cent of funds received through the “Saving One Million Lives Performance for Results Initiative”—an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, supported by the World Bank and targeted towards the improvement of maternal and child health in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Deputy Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Mr. Michel Deelen promised that the Dutch government would strengthen its partnership with the Kwara State government to achieve universal health coverage in the state.
Also speaking, the Lead Health Sector Specialist and Head of the World Bank Group’s Health in Africa Initiative, Prof. Khama Rogo announced that over four million dollars had been earmarked for Kwara State to strengthen the healthcare service delivery to the people.
Prof. Rogo who noted that many African leaders wanted to carry out health insurance scheme without success, describing the scheme as a restoration of dignity to the people of the state.
In his address, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Professor Yusuf Usman promised to partner the state to guarantee the success of the scheme.
The Executive Secretary, KWHIS, Dr Bunmi Jetawo-Winter had explained that the scheme was a well throughout and carefully planned scheme to ensure affordable and accessible health care service delivery across the state with each enrolee paying only N25 premium per day.
She said, “I must say that the transition to providing universal health coverage to Kwarans has not been a easy feat. Citical steps had to be taken to ensure that the scheme’s governance and administrative structures were stablished and sustainable.
“This means, that the health insurance law and mandate will become a sustaining feature in the lives of Kwarans from now on, and a major shift away from the status quo of fee-for-service type intervention, and unaffordable health care burdens placed on our people.”
he Kwara State government will pay an average of N1.35 billion annually for the health care insurance premiums of poor expectant mothers, children, the aged and other special segments of the population in the newly launched state Health Insurance Scheme (KWHIS).
This will accrue from the state government’s contribution of one per cent of the annual consolidated revenue fund to pay for the poorest of the society through equity fund, Governor Ahmed has said.
He said that 40 per cent of the funds would come through the ‘saving one million lives performance for results initiative’— an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, supported by the World Bank and targeted towards the improvement of maternal and child health in Nigeria.”
Governor Ahmed said this during the launch of the KWHIS in Ilorin, the state capital He added that an initial N200m had been set aside as the state’s capitalisation of (Kwara Health Insurance Law (KHIF) to ensure the scheme is well funded.
With this development health insurance is now compulsory for all residents of the state.
He called on residents to register and take advantage of the statewide scheme to access affordable health care delivery in the state.
The governor maintained that the launching had taken the state closer to achieving the dream of universal health coverage by making the scheme accessible and compulsory to all citizens and residents.
The governor added that “the Kwara Health Insurance Law also provides for the establishment of the Kwara Health Insurance Fund, KHIF, which will pool resources from various sources including premium contribution from residents, the state government subsidy for the very poor, multi-lateral grants, donations, support from the Federal Government and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)”.
“I have no doubt that this scheme is primed for success not only because it is guaranteed to be sustainable, well-funded and well managed, but also because it will leverage digital technology to promote efficiency, and transparency”, Ahmed said.
Said he: “Between 2007and 2016 the state government in collaboration with the Government of Netherlands (through the Dutch Health Insurance Fund and PharmAccess Foundation) and Hygeia Health Management Organisation implemented CHIS which leveraged health insurance for healthcare delivery to the rural poor.
Under the Kwara CHIS, we provided the policy framework for the scheme as well as part funding of the premium subsidy to the tune of N1.1billion.
“The Dutch Government also funded the larger portion of the subsidies while the Hygeia HMO provided the administrative framework for the participation of both public and private healthcare providers.
By the end of 2016, Kwara CHIS had achieved the significant successes including the enrolment of 139,714 persons from low income rural areas in 11 local government areas.
“Based on the urgent need to improve access to universal healthcare, it became necessary to expand CHIS which was considered narrow in scope due to its selective focus. The old scheme, therefore, had to be replaced with a wider-spread, comprehensive, better-funded and managed scheme.
“Consequently, I signed Kwara State Health Insurance Agency Bill into law in November 2017. The law sets up the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme, which makes contributory health insurance mandatory for all residents of Kwara State.
“This law replaces the Community Health Insurance scheme and ensures universal health coverage to all citizens and residents of the state for a low annual premium.
Following today’s launch of the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme, all citizens and residents of Kwara State are expected to enroll on the program as required by the law establishing it.
No more will citizens and residents of the state be unable to access critical treatment because they cannot afford to pay hospital fees or buy prescribed drugs.
“Thanks to its low, affordable premium and associated quality healthcare, the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme takes us closer to our dream of universal healthcare for our people.
“Specifically, the benefit packages of the health insurance scheme will reflect preventive and curative components of health care delivery and will have minimum standards of care and service from participating health care facilities in the public and private sector.
“In addition, the law also provides for the establishment of the Kwara Health Insurance Fund (KHIF). KHIF will pool resources from various sources including premium contribution from residents, the State
Government subsidy for the very poor, multi-lateral grants, donations, support from the Federal Government and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“Furthermore, we are boosting the scheme with forty per cent of funds received through the “Saving One Million Lives Performance for Results Initiative”—an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health, supported by the World Bank and targeted towards the improvement of maternal and child health in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Deputy Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Mr. Michel Deelen promised that the Dutch government would strengthen its partnership with the Kwara State government to achieve universal health coverage in the state.
Also speaking, the Lead Health Sector Specialist and Head of the World Bank Group’s Health in Africa Initiative, Prof. Khama Rogo announced that over four million dollars had been earmarked for Kwara State to strengthen the healthcare service delivery to the people.
Prof. Rogo who noted that many African leaders wanted to carry out health insurance scheme without success, describing the scheme as a restoration of dignity to the people of the state.
In his address, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Professor Yusuf Usman promised to partner the state to guarantee the success of the scheme.
The Executive Secretary, KWHIS, Dr Bunmi Jetawo-Winter had explained that the scheme was a well throughout and carefully planned scheme to ensure affordable and accessible health care service delivery across the state with each enrolee paying only N25 premium per day.
She said, “I must say that the transition to providing universal health coverage to Kwarans has not been a easy feat. Citical steps had to be taken to ensure that the scheme’s governance and administrative structures were stablished and sustainable.
“This means, that the health insurance law and mandate will become a sustaining feature in the lives of Kwarans from now on, and a major shift away from the status quo of fee-for-service type intervention, and unaffordable health care burdens placed on our people.”