By Our Reporter
Ahead of the May 28 official launch of Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme (CRSHIS), industry experts have identified key areas of collaboration for effective take off and successful implementation of the scheme in the state.
At a three day workshop aimed at improving the state’s readiness for the implementation of the scheme, the state Coordinator for the United States Agency for International Development-Health Finance and Governance project (USAID-HFG), Ibiam Azu, advised for the early enrollment of beneficiaries immediately after launch.
The USAID-HFG project pledged its commitment to support the build up to the launch process with two consultants which include an organisational development consultant and a health insurance operations expert.
The workshop which took place at the Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, Calabar, was organised by the USAID-HFG in collaboration with the Cross River State Insurance Agency.
And experts also advocated for the expansion of the facility provider network from 72 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) to cover the 196 wards in the state.
Additionally, they called for full accreditation of 72 PHCs while provisional accreditation be accorded to the remaining 124 PHCs including 18 general hospitals and 18 private health facilities to guarantee improved access to health care services.
Other recommendations included the ownership of advocacy by the state insurance agency in the area of awareness and sensitization, claim management to be undertaken by Third Party Administrators (TPAs) consisting of medical team with no less than ten years of practice to be overseen by the CRSHIS, enrollments of subscribers through multichannel agency and TPAs.
On the premium contribution and cost distribution, the workshop recommended, “an individual package of N750 per person per month including Identity Card and a family package of a father, mother and four children under 18 years of N45,000 per household per annum including Identity Cards.”
Also recommended was a “3.5 percent deduction from the basic salary of all civil servants and political appointees for a family package of the Ayadecare scheme,” if the labor unions and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) give a nod.
The ongoing bidding process to select third party administrators is also expected to be concluded before the launch date.
Attendees at the workshop included the Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Joseph Bassey, Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Health, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, Special Adviser to the Governor on Insurance, Chief Godwin Iyala, representatives of the NMA, the organised labor, ministries and parastatals as well as other health insurance experts.