STATE BASED HEALTH INSURANCE: IMPLEMENTING THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE AUTHORITY ACT (NHIA) IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The recent enactment of the National Health Insurance Act No. 17, 2022 (NHIA), made health insurance mandatory as well as health insurance education important for all citizens. The major objective of the NHIA is to encourage access to quality health care to all legal residents through health insurance services and education in the 36 states, FCT Abuja and to every Nigerian, without the payment of out-of-pocket expenses. The 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) under its NHIA state coordinators are empowered by the Authority to implement, support and manage the scheme. River State, the focus of this paper signed into law her Health Insurance Law in 2021 but did not commence the health insurance packages until the coming into effect of the 2022 instant federal law. In 2024 Rivers State Government called for the implementation of the mandatory health insurance plan by creating the Rivers State Contributory Health Insurance Agency otherwise referred to as the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme RIVCHPP; a Health4All initiative for the Rivers people. The Agency has about five health insurance plans that will be discussed in this paper since its establishment a year ago, its effort at managing enrollee data base using information and communication technology (ICT) and her sustained progress at sensitization of residents of the State to enroll in the health insurance programme at the formal and informal sectors. This paper adopted doctrinal methodology and made among its recommendations that Local Government Areas should take more active parts at sensitization and enrolment, and, Insurance education and its laws in Nigeria should be made compulsory.