Lagos Implements Mandatory Health Insurance

Lagos State government has inaugurated an enforcement team to implement the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) and ensure no resident faces healthcare denial due to financial barriers.

The ceremony, held at Alausa-Ikeja, brought together key stakeholders from the state and federal levels, reinforcing the state’s drive towards universal health coverage through the Ilera-Eko Social Health Insurance Scheme.

Delivering the keynote address, the Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr Olabode Agoro, described the event as a critical milestone in the state’s health reform journey, stressing that the move underscores the government’s commitment to affordable, accessible, and sustainable healthcare for all residents.

Agoro explained that since the issuance of the executive order, strategic engagements had been undertaken to ensure smooth implementation, including a retreat with permanent secretaries, heads of agencies.

He noted that enforcement would commence in phases, beginning with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the first quarter of the year, before extending to local governments, local council development areas, the formal sector and corporate organisations across the state.

Clarifying public concerns, he emphasised that enforcement was not punitive. “This is not about arrests or sanctions, it is about advocacy, persuasion and moral suasion,” he said, adding that enforcement would also involve restricting access to certain government services for those who fail to enrol, similar to tax compliance requirements.

Agoro directed MDAs to lead by example, ensuring that all staff are enrolled on Ilera-Eko, integrating the LASHMA registration link on their websites, and requiring proof of enrollment before rendering services.

He further disclosed that compliance with enforcement would be monitored through monthly reports submitted to his office.

In a far-reaching directive, the Head of Service announced that evidence of Ilera-Eko enrollment would henceforth be mandatory during monthly staff audits, warning that salaries of officers who fail to comply would be withheld. “The government already pays 75 per cent of the premium. We cannot afford to waste resources,” he stated.

Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, commended Lagos State for pioneering mandatory health insurance implementation, noting that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector renewal agenda and the National Health Insurance Act of 2022.