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Management of the Bayelsa state Health insurance scheme,BHIS say the scheme despite the initial hiccups experienced trying to register beneficiaries have succeeded in enrolling over 113,814 beneficiaries.
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The Executive Secretary of the scheme,Dr.Zouboemi Agadah stated this Tuesday in Yenagoa on the day one of a four day symposium and training programme organised by the Health insurance scheme in conjunction with United Health care.
The symposium tagged,”The New concepts in Health insurance”, Agadah eulogised the state Government for giving Bayelsa the opportunity to participate in accessing cheap and affordable health care.
According to the Executive secretary while a total of 113,814 direct enrollees have been registered as at September-October 2019, no fewer than 274,631 cumulative number of enrollees and their beneficiaries have been attended to.
Agadah disclosed that with the increased number of enrollees the scheme has been able to secure 1.60b as profit which are paid as capitation to participating health care providers,noting however that outside payment of capitation the money gained from the process is alternatively ploughed into making the scheme better.
From the inception of the scheme-date,Agadah mentioned that the scheme has carried out 48,584 surgeries.
He regretted that the challenges facing the scheme are moral hazards,lack of Government’s commitment to the equity fund of the scheme and adverse selection in the informal sector as well as abuse of the scheme by beneficiaries,inducement and misrepresentation on the part of clients.
Other challenges according to the executive Secretary include sociatal and cultural norms,amongst others.
Speaking against the back drop of continuity of the scheme after the tenure of the state’s incumbent Administration,chairman of the scheme,Professor Mrs Onyaye Kunle-Olowu restated that the Bayelsa state insurance scheme is established by a law enacted by the state House of Assembly,hence no enrollee or would be enrollee should entertain fears.
The Paediatrician noted that the BHIS is public-private sector arrangement and she believes therefore that it would be sustained.
Meanwhile a consultant with the BHIS, Dr Mustapha Kasim has advised healthcare givers registered with the scheme to adhere to operational and ethical standards of the healthcare industry.
Mustapha instructed enrollees to serve as whistle blowers in cases of poor, unethical and unwholesome standards by medical care providers registered by the scheme.
