Good news for all corps members! The Federal Government has approved the enrolment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Director-General of NYSC, Shuaibu Ibrahim, made the disclosure during a media briefing in Abuja today.
Ibrahim also disclosed that in line with presidential directive, NYSC has also expended huge resources on critical health needs of corps members, including footing of medical bills.
He added that the NYSC has strengthened liaison with security agencies to ensure maximum security of corps members wherever they are serving in the country emphasizing that the scheme remains the most critical platform for mentoring Nigerian youths as drivers of national unity and development.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is a body corporate established under Act 35 of 1999 Constitution by the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve the health of all Nigerians at an affordable cost.
The NHIS is to provide social health insurance in Nigeria where health care services of contributors are paid from the common pool of funds contributed by the participants of the Scheme.
It is a pre-payment plan where participants pay a fixed regular amount. The amount/funds are pooled, allowing the Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to pay for those needing medical attention.
In basic terms, it is primarily a risk sharing arrangement which can improve resource mobilisation and equity. It is indeed regarded as the most widely used form of health care financing worldwide.
NHIS also regulate private health Insurance operated by HMOs. HMOs should have a hyperlink to the HMOs list on the site.
Health Insurance is social security system that guarantees the provision of needed health services to persons on the payment of token contributions at regular intervals.
It is vital to note that an effective mandatory health insurance programme has long been identified as necessary to protect Nigerians from out-of-pocket payment for healthcare.
However, today, only a little over five per cent of Nigerians have health insurance, while Ghana, a neighbouring country has covered over 50 per cent of its population in the scheme. This is indeed a great news for NYSC because health insurance is essential for the proper functioning of the scheme.
