MOTION BY HON CHIKE JOHN OKAFOR

URGENT NEED TO INVESTIGATE THE COMPLIANCE RATE OF HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS (HMO’s) TO NHIS CONTRIBUTIONS AND UTILIZATION OF FUNDS BY THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND INHUMANE TREATMENT OF ENROLLEES:
Notes that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was set up to provide health care for all Nigerians at an affordable cost through various pre-payment systems and also to ensure the availability of funds to the health sector for improved service delivery;



Also Notes that globally, health is regarded as a social security measure that guarantees the provision of healthcare services to persons on the payment of a token at regular intervals;


Further notes that one of the cardinal responsibilities of the scheme is maintenance of the highest standards with the regards to quality of care that is accorded to beneficiaries;


Equally notes that the Federal Government pays 3.5% while its employee pays 1.7% amounting to 5.25% of the monthly salary of a Federal Government worker, while the state Government, Local Government and organized private sector employers pay 10% and the employees pay 5% amounting to 15% of their monthly salary even when the services for which these premium deductions are made, are not rendered satisfactorily;




Aware that the enrollees are being short changed and used as conduit pipes to funnel revenue to the HMO’s and healthcare providers as the enrollees are treated like leprous people while trying to access the services that many strategies have been adopted by the Healthcare Providers and the HMO’s to deprive the enrollees their right to qualitative treatment and attention;




Also aware that the HMOs have received over three hundred and fifty one billion naira (351,000,000,000) from the scheme since inception in 2005 and it is regrettable to realize that the services cover less than 4% of Nigerians which is the current coverage of the scheme, and there are reports of alleged diversion of contributions amounting to billions of naira.




Further aware that the scheme pays the HMOs three months upfront to enable them provide timely, standard and qualitative health care services to the enrollees through timely and regular payment to the health care providers, but the reverse is the case;




Cognizant that the scheme’s benefit packages have many mouthwatering provisions from the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare levels, but eleven years since its establishment, there have not been much difference because the beneficiaries/enrollees are being shortchanged, services denied, confidence in the scheme eroded and above all the core mandate of the scheme has not been achieved;




Resolves to:
Urge the National Health Insurance to put on hold further quarterly release of funds to the Health Maintenance Organizations pending the outcome of investigation by the House;
Mandate the Committee on Health Care Services to conduct an investigation on the activities of the (HMOs) and the Health care providers for the past eight (8) years with a view to identify Health Maintenance Organizations, their level of compliance with the relevant provisions of the Act and determine the reasons for the poor state of services to the enrollees and report back to the House within four (4) weeks for further legislative action.

I so move.