Compulsory Health Insurance: LSTMB Engages LASHMA
The Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB), on Tuesday, hosted representatives of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) for a sensitisation programme on the compulsory subscription to the social health insurance scheme by all residents and workers of Lagos State.
The event, held at the LSTMB Office, aimed to educate stakeholders on the new policy mandating all residents, employers, and workers in Lagos State to subscribe to the scheme through LASHMA, as per the Governor’s Executive Order.
The Acting Registrar, Mr. Hakeem Bello, who warmly welcomed the LASHMA team, expressed the Board’s readiness to support the initiative.
Bello noted that with over 10,000 practitioners in Lagos, the Board is eager to explore the initiative’s potential and facilitate practitioners’ registration on ILERA EKO.
He added that the partnership would enhance healthcare delivery to Lagosians, particularly those seeking traditional medicine services.
LASHMA’s Regulation Coordinator, Mr. Tosin Awosika, explained that the programme seeks to promote Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the State, guaranteeing residents of Lagos State access to quality healthcare services irrespective of socio-economic status, thereby bringing to the barest minimum out-of-pocket health services.
According to Awosika, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act 2022 has also made Social Health Insurance mandatory for all residents of Nigeria and requires all States to establish and implement State Social Health Insurance Schemes for their residents.
“The Law makes it compulsory for all residents in the State working in the public and private sectors, including the self-employed and unemployed, to subscribe to a Social Health Insurance Scheme either through the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) or through a Lagos State NHIA accredited private health insurance provider”, he stated.
He said LASHMA aims to partner with LSTMB, the state’s sole regulator of traditional medicine, to extend the programme to traditional medicine providers and explore collaboration modalities.
The LASHMA’s Cooperative Liaison Officer, Mr. Daniel Ayanrinno, emphasised that the goal is to ensure everyone in Lagos has a policy number and not to take customers from the practitioners.
Mr. Ayanrinno said LASHMA will leverage on what LSTMB has done with practitioners in terms of accreditation and only get their data by their category of practice. He explained that accredited practitioners will refer patients requiring higher-level care to orthodox hospitals through a referral model, eliminating out-of-pocket payments. Instead, costs will be covered by the social scheme, with specific sums to be discussed and agreed upon.
In her remarks, LSTMB’s Director of Admin and HR, Mrs. Azeezat Adegunwa, expressed gratitude to the LASHMA team, particularly the Permanent Secretary Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, for the initiative, which she said would significantly enhance healthcare services for Lagosians and Nigerians, given Lagos’ status as a hub for diverse populations.
