FIC Report (Edo State) – 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.
Dr Amegor made this known in a chat with journalists in Benin City, when he said the state government is holistically pursuing its health insurance scheme.
He also noted 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 kickoff of the scheme.
Dr Amegor added that the framework had to be set to ensure sustainability and provision of 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 organizations that have more than five workers.”
Speaking on the funding of the scheme, Dr Amegor stressed that equitable payment for the scheme includes payment of a percentage of a person’s gross salary that is pegged at 1.75 percent for the employer and the employee.
According to him, in the first year, the employer, which is the government is to pay 1.75, adding that contributions be within a range of 1.75 and 3.25 percent.
He said the scheme is still in the test phase, and they are working with the minimum requirements.
Funmi Imuetinyan
FIC Benin
