It's a new dawn for health care in Lagos state as Governor Babatunde Fashola has signed into law the Lagos State Health Management Agency Bill, which will mandate Lagosians to have compulsory health insurance.
According to Business Day,
the bill is pro-poor in nature recognising that the poor and vulnerable
will need to have subsidised premiums from the state government.
Speaking on the bill, Fashola said:
“For
those who cannot afford the scheme Lagos State is not saying there is
no free health anymore, but we know that there are things that are
covered under the free health like malaria treatment and antenatal. For
those things that are not covered by the health scheme and cannot be
afforded by the less privileged, it will be paid for.”
Health stakeholders believe this act by the
state government signals a sure way of improving health outcomes in
Lagos and ensuring that the poor have access to quality healthcare.
Citizens are
mandated to contribute into the Lagos Health Fund regardless of
whether they consume care or not in the bill as the aim is to run a
Lagos State health scheme that will be made mandatory for all residents
of Lagos State.
Furthermore, the bill recognises
that in existence are prepaid health care agencies already being
subscribed to by residents of Lagos State but the minimum anyone can
have is a plan under the Lagos State healthcare.
To
this end, the Lagos State registration agency card will be the least
perquisite for anybody to be registered under the scheme.
The bill will start running later this year though the process is ongoing.
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