A 2022 report from Macrotrends showed that Nigeria is the most populous black nation, with over 218 million people. However, a large percentage of this population has poor access to quality healthcare. Further studies reveal that the health insurance statistic is not impressive either. A National Institute of Health (NIH) survey showed that less than 4% of Nigeria’s population has health insurance.
We can hardly stress the importance of health insurance enough; however, we will hint that health insurance puts you at an advantage in terms of healthcare. Former Assistant Secretary for Health in the US, Dr Karen DeSalvo, stated that a lack of health insurance could cause a sick or injured person to run into debt or forgo healthcare. No one deserves it.
Let’s shortly discuss health insurance in Nigeria and how you can benefit from it.
What Is Health Insurance?
Health Insurance is a scheme that protects your health and gives you access to quality healthcare services for free. It covers your medical expenses for an agreed period while you pay monthly or annual premiums as a commitment.
Insurance policies are an advantage in societies exposed to poor medical attention because they help the insured to access first-hand healthcare by trained medical professionals.
Health insurance often comes with specified care coverage. This means that you do not have to pay anytime you need medical attention that falls within the scope of your insurance. What’s more about health insurance in Nigeria?
Types Of Health Insurance In Nigeria
There are different types of insurance schemes in Nigeria. However, these two types encompass all others:
Public health insurance
Private health insurance
Public Health Insurance
Public health insurance in Nigeria is governed by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). It began operating in 1999 by the National Health Act and aimed to provide community-based health insurance and achieve universal health coverage. To achieve this universal coverage, the federal government provides the public durable and cheap medical care in exchange for subsidized premiums.
Public health insurance has social health insurance schemes that span the following sectors:
The formal sector: In this sector, the social security health insurance scheme supports members of the formal sector, including the uniformed services, the public sector, and the organized private sector.
The Vulnerable Sector: This sector has the voluntary contributor social health insurance program. It is designed for those who are not part of any NHIS schemes. They include infants, pregnant women, and aged ones.
The Informal Sector: This sector works with a social health insurance scheme that caters for students in tertiary institutions. It gathers funds from their regular contributions and ensures that they get maximum learning experience.
Private Health Insurance
Private firms issue private insurance in Nigeria to the public through health maintenance organizations (HMOs). This kind of insurance works such that those who need it can choose what coverage they want and can afford. An example of an HMO in Nigeria is roHealth.
How To Get Health Insurance In Nigeria
Just as stated earlier, you can get health insurance in Nigeria through the NHIS or private insurance companies. You should note that both insurance sectors work with HMOs to distribute services to insurers.
Some of the popular HMOs in Nigeria include:
At Kyshi, we have several HMOs on our health plans list. Some of them include:
Getting Health Insurance On Kyshi
Kyshi offers you an ample opportunity to be health insured with its affordable health plans on Kyshi Connect. We have partnered with roHealth to provide you and your loved ones in Nigeria with tailored and affordable packages with up to ₦50 million coverage for as low as ₦1,800.
Getting a health plan for yourself and family on Kyshi is as easy as logging into the app, clicking on "Connect," and comparing different health plans to find the one that suits you the most. Subscribe to a package on the Kyshi app today and enjoy unmatched health care. Health is wealth with Kyshi.