NIGERIA’S NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME: A REVIEW OF COVERAGE, PACKAGES, PROBLEMS BEING ENCOUNTERED AND THE WAY FORWARD

Abstract

Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), set up by Act 35 of 1999, is a social healthinsurance programme designed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to complement sources offinancing the health sector and to improve access to health care for the majority of Nigerians.This review paper examined issues of coverage, packages and myriad of problems facing NHISin Nigeria. It is anchored on three interrelated theoretical standpoints as Health Reform Modelarising on account of globalization, Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and EverestRogers (1962) Diffusion of Innovation theory. Given that low coverage and several operationalinadequacies confront the scheme, it was recommended that government should increase fundingfor NHIS. Beyond the public sector package for civil servants, the other packages of NHISshould also be made to reach vulnerable groups and other segments of Nigerian population,while sensitization of the public about NHIS should be enhanced.