To help attain the goal of achieving universal health coverage for all Nigerians by 2020, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has concluded plans to roll out health insurance programme that would cover all pupils in public primary schools in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of NHIS, Dr. Femi Thomas, made this known during an advocacy visit of NHIS team to government house Umuahia, saying the primary insurance programme was expected to cost N48 billion per annum at monthly rate of N220 per pupil.
He said since the programme is a child of the NHIS “we intend to cover all students in public primary schools for the rest of the year without participation by the states”, once registration kicks off in September.
However the NHIS boss explained that in subsequent years and to ensure continuity the cost of implementing the programme would be shared between NHIS and the 36 states with NHIS contributing N20 billion per year and the 36 states making up the balance of N28 billion.
“It is expected that this will translate to about N132 per pupil per month and it will guarantee adequate primary health care for all these pupils and secondary and tertiary support where necessary,” he said, appealing to state governors to support the programme.
The NHIS boss further stated that aside from providing health insurance coverage for pupils the Scheme has plans to take care of them in their adolescent years with health insurance for students in tertiary institutions at a cost of N1,800 per student per annum.
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