Experts Urge Nationwide Awareness to Boost Compliance with Mandatory Employee Health Insurance

The Managing Director and CEO of Ultimate Health Management Services, Otunba Lekan Ewenla, has called for a robust nationwide campaign to increase compliance with the Federal Government’s directive requiring employers with at least five staff to enrol their workers in health insurance programs.

In a statement on Thursday, Ewenla emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) to educate companies about the benefits and obligations of the policy. He stressed that HMOs must work closely with the National Health Insurance Authority and NECA to deepen awareness and ensure systematic compliance.

“Employers are already responsible for meeting the medical needs of their staff, so compliance should not require additional expenditure,” Ewenla noted. He explained that companies can convert existing medical allowances into health insurance premiums, similar to the approach used in the 2005 rollout of the public-sector health insurance scheme, where 10 per cent of civil servants’ basic salary was converted into insurance coverage.

Ewenla highlighted that the directive is also intended to create a unified national database of enrollees linked to their National Identification Numbers, improving healthcare planning and accountability.

He expressed optimism that higher health insurance enrolment would reverse the trend of medical professionals leaving the country. Increased subscriber numbers would boost financial inflows into the health sector, improve healthcare infrastructure, and make healthcare jobs more attractive.

“We will see more doctors and nurses returning to take up appointments. Healthcare operators will pay better because, like any business, the health sector thrives on volume of patronage,” he said.