The Health Insurance Landscape in Nigeria
seventeen17
Posts: 41
in Education
According to the World Bank, Nigeria is home to the second largest number of people living in extreme poverty after India – 86 million in 2013, a 69% increase from 1990 (World Bank, 2017). It significantly underperforms key health outcomes such as life expectancy, maternal mortality, and child health compared to regional and lower-middle-income averages.
Let’s explore the landscape of health insurance in Nigeria and highlight the various benefits that come with having proper health insurance coverage.
What is Health Insurance?
Health insurance is a type of insurance that covers the cost of an individual's medical and surgical expenses. It can either be provided by the government or purchased by individuals from private insurance companies. Health insurance protects policyholders from high medical costs by reimbursing them for a portion of their medical expenses.
Types of Health Insurance in Nigeria
There are three types of health insurance in Nigeria: private health insurance, social health insurance, and community-based health insurance.
1) Private Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is provided by private insurance companies and covers individuals and families who pay premiums to the insurer. Coverage varies depending on the insurer, but typically includes hospitalization, surgeries, and prescription drugs. Some policies may also cover outpatient care, preventive care, and dental care.
2) Social Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is provided by the government and covers formal sector employees, including civil servants and workers in the organized private sector. Coverage includes access to essential medicines, immunizations, family planning services, maternal and child health services, laboratory services, and more.
3) Community-Based Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is designed to cover informal sector workers who are not eligible for social health insurance. It is usually managed by NGOs or community-based organizations (CBOs) on behalf of its members. Coverage typically includes outpatient consultations, hospitalization, maternity care, immunizations, and access to essential medicines.
Benefits of Having Health Insurance
There are many benefits that come with having proper health insurance coverage. Some of these benefits include:
Financial Protection: Perhaps the most obvious benefit of having health insurance is that it protects you from high medical costs. When you have health insurance, you don't have to worry about how you will come up with the money to pay for unexpected medical expenses because your insurer will reimburse you for a portion of your medical expenses.
Improved Access to Healthcare: Another benefit of having health insurance is that it gives you improved access to healthcare services. This is because with health insurance comes reduced out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare services. When you don't have to worry about how much a particular procedure will cost you out-of-pocket, you are more likely to seek early treatment for diseases and conditions before they become more serious (and more expensive).
Peace of Mind: Finally, having proper health coverage gives you peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are protected financially in case of an unexpected illness or injury.
Purchasing Health Insurance in Nigeria
If you don't already have health insurance coverage in Nigeria, there are a few things you need to take into consideration before purchasing a policy.
Firstly, decide which type of policy best suits your needs (private health insurers offer different packages with different coverage levels).
Secondly, make sure that the insurer you choose is registered and licensed under the National Insurance Commission of Nigeria. You can check out licensed health insurance companies on www.rohealth.ng
Finally, make sure that the hospitals and clinics you visit regularly are included in your insurer's network so that you can enjoy reduced out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare services.
With these considerations in mind, purchasing a policy from a reputable insurer should be a fairly straightforward process.
A sure way to get health insurance is by signing up for free on www.rohealth.ng.
Let’s explore the landscape of health insurance in Nigeria and highlight the various benefits that come with having proper health insurance coverage.
What is Health Insurance?
Health insurance is a type of insurance that covers the cost of an individual's medical and surgical expenses. It can either be provided by the government or purchased by individuals from private insurance companies. Health insurance protects policyholders from high medical costs by reimbursing them for a portion of their medical expenses.
Types of Health Insurance in Nigeria
There are three types of health insurance in Nigeria: private health insurance, social health insurance, and community-based health insurance.
1) Private Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is provided by private insurance companies and covers individuals and families who pay premiums to the insurer. Coverage varies depending on the insurer, but typically includes hospitalization, surgeries, and prescription drugs. Some policies may also cover outpatient care, preventive care, and dental care.
2) Social Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is provided by the government and covers formal sector employees, including civil servants and workers in the organized private sector. Coverage includes access to essential medicines, immunizations, family planning services, maternal and child health services, laboratory services, and more.
3) Community-Based Health Insurance: This type of health insurance is designed to cover informal sector workers who are not eligible for social health insurance. It is usually managed by NGOs or community-based organizations (CBOs) on behalf of its members. Coverage typically includes outpatient consultations, hospitalization, maternity care, immunizations, and access to essential medicines.
Benefits of Having Health Insurance
There are many benefits that come with having proper health insurance coverage. Some of these benefits include:
Financial Protection: Perhaps the most obvious benefit of having health insurance is that it protects you from high medical costs. When you have health insurance, you don't have to worry about how you will come up with the money to pay for unexpected medical expenses because your insurer will reimburse you for a portion of your medical expenses.
Improved Access to Healthcare: Another benefit of having health insurance is that it gives you improved access to healthcare services. This is because with health insurance comes reduced out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare services. When you don't have to worry about how much a particular procedure will cost you out-of-pocket, you are more likely to seek early treatment for diseases and conditions before they become more serious (and more expensive).
Peace of Mind: Finally, having proper health coverage gives you peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are protected financially in case of an unexpected illness or injury.
Purchasing Health Insurance in Nigeria
If you don't already have health insurance coverage in Nigeria, there are a few things you need to take into consideration before purchasing a policy.
Firstly, decide which type of policy best suits your needs (private health insurers offer different packages with different coverage levels).
Secondly, make sure that the insurer you choose is registered and licensed under the National Insurance Commission of Nigeria. You can check out licensed health insurance companies on www.rohealth.ng
Finally, make sure that the hospitals and clinics you visit regularly are included in your insurer's network so that you can enjoy reduced out-of-pocket expenses on healthcare services.
With these considerations in mind, purchasing a policy from a reputable insurer should be a fairly straightforward process.
A sure way to get health insurance is by signing up for free on www.rohealth.ng.
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