Lagos set 31 December deadline for residents to get health insurance

Lagos residents, workers and employers get until 31 December 2026 to obtain health insurance cover. Enforcement of the state's mandatory health insurance policy go start on 1 January 2027.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announce the deadline on Tuesday for Victoria Island while e dey flag off enforcement under Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024. He also unveil the Lagos Private Health Plans (LPHP), a scheme for salaried workers and corporate organisations.

The new plans dey alongside Ilera Eko, the existing scheme for vulnerable residents and people in the informal sector. According to the governor, there is now a plan for every Lagosian, whether formal, informal or vulnerable.

For an ordinary family, the pitch simple: hospital bills no suppose wipe out the money wey dem keep for rent, school fees or food. The governor talk say the aim na for residents to get care without depending only on their ability to pay at the point of illness.

Wetin the scheme mean for workers and employers

Under the order, individuals, employers and government all get responsibilities. Sanwo-Olu talk say employers suppose treat workers' healthcare as a necessary cost of doing business, like pension contributions.

He also talk say no healthcare provider suppose turn away a resident wey need emergency medical attention because of money or lack of cover. Patients suppose get stabilised first before payment or insurance questions dem sort out.

Twenty-one health maintenance organisations (HMOs) don sign up for the new plans. The governor talk say the state go monitor dem to make sure bills dey paid and services dey delivered, adding say at least 70 kobo of every naira of premium suppose go to care. The state talk say e go publish quarterly monitoring results.

He also urge doctors wey dey plan to travel abroad to reconsider, arguing say better healthcare financing fit make the sector more sustainable at home.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, talk say the state dey target at least 10 million insured residents, up from about two million now. He talk say the current reliance on out-of-pocket payments dey put heavy pressure on households and hospitals.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Adebayo Adedewe, talk say the Health Equity Fund don increase from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion to cover more than 500,000 vulnerable residents wey no fit afford premiums.

He talk say the agency dey run radio campaigns, billboards and digital advocacy, and dey work with traditional rulers, market associations and transport unions to reach residents.

Wetin go happen next

The state don set up an implementation steering committee and an enforcement task force. Operational guidelines go spell out contributions, the minimum benefit package and wetin each participating organisation must do before enforcement start in January.