The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has given two weeks extension to defective Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) that failed to meet the requirements for re-accreditation.
A statement by the NHIS Head of Media and Public Relations Division, Ayo Osinlu issued in Abuja on Monday, revealed that Chairman of the council, Enyantu Ifenne, made the announcement at an interactive session with HMO operators.
Ifenne urged the delisted HMOs to maximise the remedial window to rectify their deficiencies, and those on provisional re-accreditation to also improve their status so as to obtain full accreditation.
The chairman assured that the process of the re-accreditation was detailed, assiduous, and completely devoid of punitive under-currents.
Ifenne, therefore, advised the operators to take up the challenge by upgrading their practice, in order to restore public confidence in the healthcare financing industry.
“It is not on the agenda of the council to humiliate strategic stakeholders or hurt their businesses.
“Rather, the council was unanimous and resolute to apply appropriate laws to ensure that required standards of practice are upheld, while provisions of applicable operational guidelines are observed responsibly by stakeholders.
“This is the only way to ensure that rights and privileges of enrollees are guaranteed at all times, especially at every point of service in their legitimate pursuit of effective healthcare.’’
She added that the NHIS would continue to work diligently to address all issues affecting the interest of enrollees and protect their rights and privileges.
Ifenne however, admitted that the NHIS has not been apt in some aspects of its responsibilities, which has resulted in an accumulation of regulatory failures, adding that such development would be confronted vigorously by the governing council.
