The Cross River State Health Insurance Agency has finalized plans to commence the enrollment of one million Nigerians in April 2020.

The flag off of the insurance scheme tagged AyadeCare which started in 2016, would be performed by the Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, as part of activities marking the 2020 World Health Day.

World Health Day

Dr. Godwin Iyala, the Director General of the Health Insurance Agency, gave hints of the event during a chat with newsmen in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

Iyala explained: “The Agency is not resting on its oars. We have been working round the clock to ensure that come April 7th, residents of Cross River, irrespective of where you come from will access the enrollment plan.

“Governor Ben Ayade will be flagging off the beginning of enrollment into the scheme.

“From that day, we hope to capture about one million enrollees by the end of 2020.

“Cross River has a population of about 4.8 million people and we are targeting that by the end of this year we would have captured 20 percent of that population.

“If we do it this way, by 2022, we would have enrolled millions into the scheme.” He maintained.

Vulnerable Groups

The Director General further explained that the scheme has been designed with a wealth lending support to the less privileged.

He disclosed that the Nigerian Government was also collaborating with Cross River to drive the effective implementation of the health insurance.

He stated that the policy would enable the State enroll vulnerable groups such as children below five years, pregnant women, the aged and persons suffering from certain categories of terminal illnesses.

According to him: “The policy is designed to put money back into your pocket; it is designed to mitigate catastrophic spending in health; it is designed to bring succor to all nooks and crannies of Cross River State.

“The Nigerian Government has lent its own support. In 2018 appropriation, one percent of the Government’s consolidated revenue fund was approved to be paid to all states social health insurance agencies schemes.

“The money amounted to 55 billion naira to assist States enroll the vulnerable population.

“The vulnerable population are defined as children of zero to five years, pregnant women mostly from the indigent communities, the aged, the internally displaced persons and indigent persons who are living with certain terminal diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy and similar cases.”

Third Party   

Iyala hinted that the insurance scheme would be implemented through third party administrators known as Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) similar to what is obtainable at the national level.

He added that the HMOs would enroll residents across the 18 Local Government areas, noting that one third party administrator will be expected to enroll people in six Local Government Areas each.

Culled from Voice Of Nigeria.