Emmanuel Thomas
May 4, 2015 – The Lagos State House of Assembly today passed the State Health Insurance Bill into law. The Bill makes the scheme mandatory for all residents and employees in the private and public sectors including the self-employed and unemployed.
It consists of a variety of packages providing healthcare services in directs proportion to the contribution and any other component as may be developed by the agency with the approval of the board.
The scheme shall be compulsory and apply to all residents of the state that were not covered by an existing health scheme, while all residents in the formal or informal sector must be covered by the scheme.
The General Manager of the agency shall also be the secretary to the board while members of the board shall be persons of proven integrity to be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the commissioner.
Mr Suuru Avoseh, Chairman, Committee on Health Services LAHA who presented the report, said that the bill would make it easy for residents to have access to good medical care through health insurance scheme.
Mr Rotimi Olowo, (APC-Shomolu I) noted that the agency that would be in charge of the scheme should not be independent, but that it should be under a ministry.
Olowo said that the funds that would accrue to the agency should be properly monitored.
Mr Taiwo Kolawole, the Deputy Speaker, who presided at the plenary however, told the clerk of the house to forward the bill to the governor for accent while the house was adjourned to Tuesday May 5.
