Health Care Providers Association of Nigeria, HCPAN and it’s associated bodies have called on the Health Maintainance Organisations, HMOs, to renegotiate with their Corporate clients in Private Health Insurance relationship and review all existing Tariffs or contacts with the Private Health Care Provider Facilities across the country in accordance with the Tariff just released as benchmark.
This is to encourage provision of better health care services to the people and reduce the burden of out of pocket expenses by patients.
It will also address the problem of clients having to roam from one hospital to another because the parent hospital has refused to pick the bills.
The National President, Health Care Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Dr Adeyeye Arigbabuwo made the call in chat with newsmen in Lagos.
Dr Adeyeye who expressed dismay that even though premiums were hitherto arbitrarily determined, some HMOs are undercutting their peers in a bid to get some accounts to work with which undermines the essence of the programme.
He noted that till date, about 76.6% of total health care financing still remains out of pocket payments in the country.
He explained that some HMOs have given their outfits to bidders and fresh undertakers who are not in the true picture of correct status of assets and liabilities of what they have acquired would not stand the test of time.
Dr Adeyeye called on the Minister of Health and other well meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter as the cost of health goods have risen astronomically.
“A Clarion call was recently made even as open letter to the Minister of Health that it was important to do immediate review on the astronomical rise in the cost of health goods ( eg INTRAVENOUS infusion being bought for between N650 and N800 while most HMOs will reimburse the Provider Facilities with between N250 and N350. Ditto with a lot of drugs and Medicines too numerous to number or site “
The National President, Guild of Medical Director, Dr Kuti Raymond stressed that hospitals are no charity homes equipments needs to be maintained and consumables bought.
” Late submission of bills by any member in excess of agreed terms in the contract documents may attract sanctions after warnings “
The National Secretary, HCPAN, Mr Ajewole Joshua who is a Nurse, complained that Nurses were left out of the programme therefore making them work at a loss.
Mr Joshua appealed to the HMOs to do the needful as ultimatum given for the implementation of the new Tariff to avoid a breakdown of the health sector.
” The need for periodic review of the Tarrifs may be with or without further notification as the current trends of increased costs of goods and services of health Care in the country have not given room for long and predictable market forces “
The 1st Vice President of the Association of Nigeria Private Medical Practitioners, Dr Kay Adesola, complained that debts are owed providers in excess of 30 days
“We have records of those being owed for the range of 6 to 9 months. Some are being owed 12 months.
The group insisted that, Such HMOs will not only pay what they owe but will be equally expected to pay the cumulative interest on such debts. “
Present at the briefing were, ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS ( ANPMP….. formerly AGPMPN), Nigeria Dental Association ( NDA), ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS OF NIGERIA, Guild of Medical Directors ( GMD) , ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE NURSES AND MIDWIVES, Guild of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Association of Optometrists, Association of Physiotherapists, Association of Radiographers, etc who have business to do with PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE in Nigeria
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