10 Advantages of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)

Are you looking for an insurance scheme in Nigeria and you are looking for the benefits associated with this insurance organization? Then we will provide you with every information you need about this health insurance scheme. In this post we will provide you with 10 good Advantages of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), with all necessary information you need regarding this insurance scheme before opt-in to it.

What is the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)?

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is a program provided by the federal government of Nigeria to provide health insurance to its citizens. The program aims to make healthcare affordable and more accessible to its citizens.

What are the Types of Insurance Coverage by the  National Health Insurance Scheme?

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) provides many types of insurance coverage within its various programs. The coverage is be divided 3 segment such as:

• The Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programme
• The Informal Sector Social Health Insurance Programmes
• The Vulnerable Group Social Health Insurance Programme (VGSHIP)

They are explained below:

1. The Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programme

• It covers the public sector, which includes federal, state, & local government employees.
• It covers the organized private sector, this is mainly targeted at companies with a specific minimum number of employees in the company.
• It provides coverage to the Armed Forces, Police, & Other paramilitary and Uniformed Services personnels. Which are for members serving in these organizations.
• It covers tertiary Institutions known as the  Social Health Insurance Programmes, this segment of the NHIS is designed mainly for students who are enrolled in tertiary institutions like (universities, polytechnics, colleges etc.).

2. Informal Sector Social Health Insurance Programmes

It covers Community-Based Social Health Insurance Programmes (CBSHIP), this is targeted at communities that are often in rural areas, where participants find it difficult to cover healthcare costs.

It covers the Voluntary Contributors Social Health Insurance Programmes (VCSHIP), this is focused on individuals that are not covered by other schemes, such as the retirees, self-employed and many others.

3. Vulnerable Group Social Health Insurance Programme (VGSHIP)

This NHIS program also targets specific vulnerable people who cannot afford to contribute to premiums, this people are:

• Pregnant women
• Children under the ages of five
• The elderly
• Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
• People with disabilities

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Health Coverage

There are several types of health challenges the NHIS covers, the benefits it provides are:

• Prescribed medications.
• Hospitalization (up to a certain limit).
• Some dental procedures
• Maternity care.
• Some preventive care services
• Eye exams.
• Outpatient care (consultations, basic tests).

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Advantages of the National Health Insurance

1. One of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) advantages is that it aims to provide health coverage for all Nigerian citizens. Their main aim is to ensure that families and individuals have access to necessary medical services, no matter their income level or socioeconomic status.

2. The second advantage of the NHIS is that it offers financial protection to citizens through “deductible,” (the amount you pay out-of-pocket before the NHIS will be the further expenses) for your healthcare services.

3. The third advantage is the availability of healthcare services which the NHIS  provides to contribute to improved health outcomes for citizens.

4. The fourth and one of the best advantages of the NHIS is that they often include health education & awareness programs to their policy which is aimed at empowering youths or individuals with knowledge about healthy lifestyles, self-care practices, and disease prevention.

5. The fifth advantage of the NHIS is that it emphasizes preventive care and health promotion.

6. The Sixth advantage of the NHIS is that it protects against expensive medical bills. It covers and protects people against financial risk of expensive medical bills. We all know that Nigerian medical bills can be costly, that a lot of people cannot afford to pay their medical bills for themselves. The scheme makes it for members to make a copayment fee for certain health services, while in some cases you don’t need to pay anything. For example, if you need to see a doctor for consultation and the consultation fee is 30%, you will only pay 10% of the fee when you are a member of the scheme.

7. The seventh advantage of the NHIS is the coverage for pre-existing conditions. The scheme covers pre-existing conditions, this means that  you can get the treatment you require even when you have a chronic illness. Nigerian residents under this scheme can access quality healthcare services regardless of their medical history.

8. The eight advantage of the NHIS is that it covers wide-range of services. The NHIS covers a wide-range of medical services such as doctor’s appointments, X-rays and visits to laboratory tests. The scheme also covers the cost of wide-range of medications & hospitalization.

9. The ninth advantage of the NHIS is contributing and improving maternal & child health outcomes. The scheme provides free maternity care for all pregnant women. It covers antenatal care, birth delivery and cost of immunizations & treatment for young children. Ever since the NHIS was introduced in Nigeria, it has helped to reduce the number of maternal and child deaths. The scheme has also helped in improving the quality care of pregnant women & families with younger children.

10. The tenth advantage of the NHIS is medication discount. When you are a member of the scheme you get to enjoy a whopping discount on medications at all participating pharmacies nationwide. You only need to present your NHIS card at any of the participating pharmacies when purchasing medication to enjoy these discounts.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS, comes with a lot of benefits to the population that are registered with the scheme. You get to enjoy several benefits for medical bills, x-rays, pregnancy and childbirth, student medical coverage, medication discounts and many other benefits attached to the school. To find out more about the scheme, kindly visit the NHIS website at https://www.nhis.gov.ng.