The healthcare landscape in Lagos State is undergoing a significant transformation after the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) issued a directive for all private health maintenance organisations (HMOs) to enrol their clients in the state’s social health insurance scheme, Ìlera Èkó, before July 14, 2023.
This decision aligns with the implementation of the National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIA) of 2022, which mandates social health insurance coverage for all Nigerians, regardless of their existing plans.
Ìlera Èkó, a Yoruba term which loosely translates to “Healthiness of Lagos,” is the name given to Lagos State’s social health insurance scheme, which aims to provide universal healthcare for all residents of the state.
The Ìlera Èkó Policy aims to replace existing private HMO plans with a comprehensive health insurance scheme that provides access to a wide range of private and public hospitals in all local governments. The state government believes that this policy will provide accessible and affordable healthcare services to all residents.
According to the directive by Lagos State, all existing HMO clients must submit the details of their enrollees to the LASHMA. These clients would then be enrolled in Ìlera Èkó and given unique identification under the policy.
With this transition, Ìlera Èkó will replace private HMO plans as the primary insurance scheme, while the existing private plans serve as complementary services.
However, it is still uncertain how collaboration will develop between private HMOs and the LASHMA. It is worthy of note that as at July 2023, only about 780,000 of the estimated 26 million residents of Lagos have been enrolled in the Ìlera Èkó scheme.
The short answer is: Nothing right now.
When asked, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, Director-General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) simply said that the decision of many employers would be shaped by the outcome of the NHIA regulation.
In truth, it is too early to postulate what will happen next. While the NHIA discusses collaboration terms with private HMOs, employers can simply continue providing health insurance for employees as they have been doing.
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