Oyo approves compulsory health insurance for workers, students

The Oyo State Executive Council on Monday said it has made the enrollment for its
health insurance compulsory for all civil and public servants in the state.

It stated that this decision was is in line with the provision of Section 16, Sub Section 1 of the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) Law of 2016.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun who made this disclosure in a statement made available to DAILY POST explained that the compulsory enrollment of all civil and public servants from level 1 to level 12 will be the Standard Plan with Eight thousand naira (N8,000) as premium per annul, inclusive of N200 registration service while from level 13 and above will be on the Standard Plus plan of Thirteen Thousand, five hundred Naira (N13,500) premium per annul.
Arulogun said that the executive council also approved the compulsory enrollment of all students of Oyo State institutions on Students’ Plan with a subsidized premium of N2,800 per annul.
He said that the state government will also demand certificates of health insurance or evidence of same from individuals, groups, companies or institutions that intend to do businesses with Oyo State.
Arulogun stressed that such businesses shall include but not limited to Registration of Hospitals and Allied institutions, schools and allied institutions, premises and companies, vehicles and all forms of procurement and supplies, Renewal of Certificates and license, Application for certificates of occupancy, rents and allied applications, saying that health insurance certificate shall also be part of per-requisite to access loan or similar funds from Bureau of investment by individuals and cooperatives societies.

He said “The payable premium by these enrolls, Public and Civil servants in the services of the state and local governments as well as students in the State Tertiary institutions will be directly deducted by the State’s Ministry of Finance and other relevant institutions, as the case may be, for direct remittance into the account of the Agency on Monthly basis as stipulated in section 19 (4) and 36 (1) of OYSHIA Law 2016.”

He explained that the health insurance scheme was meant to alleviate poverty through significant reduction in “out-of-pocket” expenditure on health by residents of the State and making quality healthcare affordable and accessible to every resident of the state.

Arulogun disclosed that the OYSHIA has taken delivery of medical equipment worth Seventy Four Million, One Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira (74,129,800.00) that would be used, adding that drugs and consumables have also been supplied to 42 OYSHIA accredited public facilities (both Primary Health Centers – PHCs and State/General Hospitals).
He further maintained that 21 private facilities were also accredited to participate in the scheme, saying that there was an on-going renovation of accredited PHCs at no financial cost to the government which demonstrates that health insurance will ultimately reduce government expenditure on health and fast-track the development of  health sector.

He said that Caesarean section had been done under the scheme for 15 enrolls without any out of pocket payment, bringing immediate impact to the quest to reduce maternal mortality rate in the state.