The Benefit Of Health Insurance Scheme On The Aged Citizens Of Nigeria (A Case Study Of Ilorin West Local Government Area Of Kwara State.

The Benefit Of Health Insurance Scheme On The Aged Citizens Of Nigeria (A Case Study Of Ilorin West Local Government Area Of Kwara State.

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

Health services are judged to be wrong and shy in meeting the requirements and demands of the public as reflected by the poor state of health of the population( FMOH, 1998) cited in Kriss( 2017). It’s realistic to argue that some of the deaths and serious ails which do among Nigerians are due to conditions which are fluently preventable with simple remedies. Lack of timely and applicable care frequently increases the threat of serious complications in the course of minor affections( Irinoye, 2018). The current high rate of morbidity and mortality can be mainly reduced by a more rational operation of available coffers, indeed at the time of fiscal rigidity( Irinoye, 2018).

colorful reform programmes have been put in place and government has expressed its determination to pursue a bold reform of the system. In the attempt by the government to insure that all citizens attain a state of perfect physical, internal and social well being, it has formulated and enforced National Health Policy( Zeckhauser, 2020). The National Health Policy and Strategy to achieve health for all Nigerian’s came into effect in 1988 and was revised in 2004.

The main policy thrust of the National Health System includes Care coffers, National Health Interventions and Services Delivery, National Health Information Systems, Partnership for Health Development, National Research and Health Care Laws. In malignancy of a well structured health system, development of the Primary Health Care( PHC) has not bettered the health experience of the population especially those in pastoral areas( Ekman, 2017). The health sector’s donation to public development remains a serious issue. thus, as part of government trouble to address the problems in the sector, the National Health Insurance Scheme( NHIS) was initiated to address the health problems in Nigeria. The NHIS is a commercial body established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria to ameliorate the health of all Nigerians at an affordable cost. Health Insurance is an approach that protects insured persons from paying high treatment costs during an occasion of sickness. The introductory health insurance process is that a customer makes a regular payment to a managing institution. This institution is responsible for holding the payments in a fund and paying a healthcare provider for the cost of the consumer’s care( Dutta, & Hongoro, 2017).

Data from the NHIS in 2011 shows 5 of the population are registered on the scheme( NHIS 2012b). maturity of those covered are in the employment of the civil and state governments and live in the civic areas( Ekman. 2017). still, further than 60 of Nigerians belong to the informal sector and live in pastoral areas on lower than$ 1 a day( as cited by UPI, 2012). Because they warrant sufficient fiscal coffers when faced with health challenges, they can not go good quality health care. Out- Of- Pocket( OOP) backing of health remains high at about95.3 of the private expenditure on health( PvtHE) in 2010( PvtHE as a chance of Total Health Expenditure{ THE} was62.1 in 2010), and generally has a disastrous effect on the poor. numerous Nigerians have lost their lives due to their incapability to meet this need( Zeckhauser, 2020). NHIS is generally designed to significantly feed for the weal of the citizens and especially the less privileged in the society( Zeckhauser, 2020). This, in substance, would guarantee access to care with fiscal threat protection. The scheme has been in operation since 2005 and the target date for achieving universal health content was 2015. From the below, this study seek to ascertain the impact of National health insurance on aged citizens of Nigeria.

Statement Of The Problem

Nigeria’s health pointers have either stagnated or worsened during the once decade despite the civil government ‟ s sweats to ameliorate healthcare delivery. Nigeria ‟ s life expectation of52.3 times is below the African normal of56.05 times, while child and motherly mortality rates are astounding. Annually, one million children die before the age of five due substantially to neonatal causes, malaria and pneumonia. motherly mortality is 630 per 100,000 live births which is similar to low- income countries similar as Lesotho and Cameroon( Irinoye, 2018). An estimated3.3 million Nigerians are infected with HIV and access to forestallment, care and treatment is minimum. Nigeria also continues to combat the double burden of both transmissible and noninfectious conditions.

The National Health Insurance Scheme( NHIS) is an attempt by the Nigerian civil government to borrow universal health content( UHC) for her citizens. Dutta and Hongoro( 2017) define UHC as assured access to and use of high- quality health care services by all citizens and protection for all individualities from any disastrous fiscal effect of ill- health. On their part, Schellekens( 2016) see UHC as pertaining to health systems furnishing both access to health services and fiscal protection which includes avoiding out- of- fund payments that reduce the affordability of services and immaculately some compensation for productivity loss due to illness( Ekman,( 2017). The aged citizens as used in this study refers to all persons of the population aged 50 times and aged in Nigeria. From the below, this study seek to ascertain the benefit of health insurance scheme on the aged citizens of Nigeria using Ilorin West Local Government Area Of Kwara State as a case study

Objects Of The Study

The overall end of this study is to critically examine the benefit of health insurance scheme on the aged citizens of Nigeria using Ilorin West Local Government Area Of Kwara State as a case study. Hence, the study will be conducted to the following specific objects;

1. probe the position of mindfulness of National health insurance scheme among aged Nigerians.

2. Determine whether public health insurance scheme contribute to health- related weal of aged Nigerians.

3. Ascertain whether public health insurance scheme ameliorate the quality of live of aged Nigerians.

4. Ascertain whether public health insurance scheme gives access to health services and fiscal protection to aged Nigerians.

Exploration Question

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1) What’s the position of mindfulness of National health insurance scheme among aged Nigerians?

2) Does public health insurance scheme contribute to health- related weal of aged Nigerians?

3) Does public health insurance scheme ameliorate the quality of live of aged Nigerians?

4) Does public health insurance scheme give access to health services and fiscal protection to aged Nigerians?

Significance Of The Study

The significance of this study is to punctuate the ineffectiveness of growing programs and services in Nigeria, with a view to championing changes in policy expression and perpetration of health programs and services so as to affect the senior population. presently, there are no overt programs and services for the senior in Nigeria because there has not yet been a policy for the care of seniors in Nigeria. This paper will as well make advocacy for the establishment of similar installations in order to better the lot of the senior population in Nigeria.

also, posterior experimenters will use it as literature review. This means that, other scholars who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the occasion to use this study as available literature that can be subordinated to critical review. Always, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with respects to the benefit of health insurance scheme on the aged citizens of Nigeria.

Compass Of The Study

This study is structured to generally examine the benefit of health insurance scheme on the aged citizens of Nigeria. still, the study will further probe the position of mindfulness of National health insurance scheme among aged Nigerians, determine whether public health insurance scheme contribute to health- related weal of aged Nigerians, ascertain whether public health insurance scheme ameliorate the quality of live of aged Nigerians, and ascertain whether public health insurance scheme gives access to health services and fiscal protection to aged Nigerians. The population of this study covers residers in Ilorin west original Government Area Ilorin, Kwara state.

Limitation Of The Study

Like in every mortal bid, the experimenter encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. inadequate finances tend to stymie the effectiveness of the experimenter in sourcing for the applicable accoutrements , literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the experimenter resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the experimenter contemporaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the quantum of time spent on exploration will be reduced.

also, the case study system employed in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of impulses and poor judgment of issues. still, the investigator reckoned on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, neutrality in observation and recording, and importing of substantiation to overcome the challenges.

Description Of Terms

NHIS National Health Insurance Scheme.

UHC Universal Health Coverage.

PHC Primary Health Care.