85% Of Nigerians Lack Health Insurance, Stakeholders Call For Urgent Action

Stakeholders in the health sector have raised concerns that about 85 per cent of Nigerians are still without health insurance, leaving millions to pay for medical treatment from their own pockets.

They spoke during the unveiling of Ultimate Health HMO’s U-Health GIFSHIP (Group, Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme) in Lagos, where the organisation introduced a new health insurance package aimed at workers in the informal sector.

The stakeholders said increasing health insurance enrolment is critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reducing the financial burden of healthcare on Nigerians.

The new programme is expected to improve access to maternal healthcare, cancer treatment and other essential medical services for traders, artisans, transport workers, small business owners and other Nigerians outside the formal employment sector.

Speaking at the event, the managing director of Ultimate Health HMO, Dr. Lekan Ewenla, said the initiative was created to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible to millions of Nigerians who have remained outside the country’s formal health insurance system.

He explained that the programme is based on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)-approved Federal Civil Service Health Insurance Programme, introduced in 2005, which currently provides healthcare coverage for more than 11 million Nigerians.

Ultimate Health HMO, he added, manages healthcare services for nearly 300,000 beneficiaries under the scheme.

Ewenla said although the programme has recorded success in the formal sector, only about 15 percent of Nigerians currently enjoy health insurance coverage, while the remaining 85 percent still pay for healthcare directly whenever they fall sick.

According to him, the majority of those without insurance are traders, artisans, transport operators and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

He said the amendment of the National Health Insurance Authority Act in 2022, which made health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians, encouraged the company to redesign the existing benefit package to meet the needs of workers in the informal sector.

“Our goal is not simply to sell health insurance but to make quality healthcare more affordable, more accessible and more equitable for every Nigerian,” Ewenla said.

He explained that the new scheme comes with dual identity cards for enrollees, improved customer service through digital technology and a network of healthcare providers located close to major business clusters to make access to treatment easier.

Also speaking, Dr. Chima Madu, the head of Medical Services at Ultimate Health HMO, said U-Health GIFSHIP was developed to close the healthcare access gap by providing affordable and comprehensive health services for Nigerians working in the informal economy.

The programme is expected to support the Federal Government’s efforts to expand health insurance coverage and reduce the number of Nigerians exposed to catastrophic healthcare expenses.