The Director General of the Edo State Health Insurance Commission, Dr. Rock Amegor, has reassured residents that the state government will effectively fund its health insurance scheme to ensure that everyone enrolled in the scheme is well catered for.
Amegor, in a chat with journalists in Benin City, said the state government is holistically pursuing its health insurance scheme, noting that the revamp of the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) across the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, was the first step in preparing for the kick off of the scheme.
He added that the framework had to be set to ensure sustainability and provide well-equipped PHCs to implement the scheme across the state.
According to him, “We have various health plans in the scheme. We have the formal sector and the informal sector health plans. We have the student package, and the premium package. We also have the basic minimum package, which is the one the Federal Government and the state government are funding. We have the formal public plan and the formal private-sector plan, as well. The private sector plan is for organisations that have more than five workers.”
On the funding of the scheme, he said, “For equitable payment for the scheme, we decided on payment of a percentage of whatever a person’s gross salary. We pegged it at 1.75 percent for the employer and the employee. In the first year, the employer, which is the government is to pay 1.75, but it is supposed to be within a range of 1.75 and 3.25 percent.”
He said the scheme is still in the test phase, adding “That is why we are working with the minimum requirements. For those earning little, it might be insignificant to pay 1.75 of your salary, but if you are on Level 17 or thereabout, it would be significant. It would help bridge the gap for funding for the scheme.”
