Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme: (LASHMA) was established by Enabling Act No. 14 of May 25, 2015, and registered with the State of Lagos in Nigeria (Government Gazette No. 32, Vol. 48) dated June 5, 2015, to ensure that all residents of Lagos State, including civil servants, have access to affordable and quality health care.
Through the scheme, people living in Lagos can be protected from financial hardship due to large medical bills.
Background:
The Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme was developed in 2014 as a tool to articulate strategies to address health financing gaps and develop sustainable directions for health financing, with a focus on innovative exploration of alternative funding sources.
As part of the health financing policy, the Lagos State Government enacted the Lagos State Health Plan Act in May 2015, establishing the Lagos State Health Management Agency. State, the Lagos State Health Plan and the Lagos State Health Fund.
The Ministry together with the State Assembly drafted the Lagos State Health Plan Bill and it became law in May 2015.
The Lagos State Health Plan Act (LSHS) states:
- Lagos State Health Management Agency
- Lagos State Health System and
- Lagos State Health Fund.
LAGOS STATE HEALTH PLAN DETAILS:
The Lagos State Health System deals with accessibility to quality health services, financial protection against large medical bills, private sector involvement, equitable sharing of healthcare costs, efficiency, demand and pooling of resources. The Lagos State Health Management Agency shall promote, regulate, supervise and ensure the effective administration of the Lagos State Health Plan and Health Fund.
Under the health insurance agreement, the funds are contributed by individuals and families and pooled into a common fund called the Lagos State Health Fund (LASHEF). In this way, risks and resources are spread across the population as a whole, with the healthy and rich helping to pay for the sick and poor, resulting in a substantial protection against large risks against great health expectations.
There are 3,731 registered health facilities in Lagos State, comprising 460 public health facilities and 3,271 private health facilities, according to the Directory of State Facilities. Therefore, the purchase of health services from people in the public and private sectors is intended to promote equity and improve the physical access of residents to quality health services.
PROGRESS MADE SEVERAL:
Since the promulgation of the law, the ministry has embarked on intensive preliminary technical sessions to ensure the applicability of the law.
A Central Implementation Team (SIT) has been formed, comprised of technical people and relevant stakeholders, including the private and private sectors. donor community. , to develop a plan to facilitate the effective implementation of the regime.
The following activities have been started:
- Carry out the necessary technical studies for the commencement of LSHS.
- Fiscal space analysis
- actuarial studies
- Impact evaluation
- Determination of the supplier payment mechanism
- Assessing the governance structure of health financing
- Fiscal space analysis, actuarial studies and determination of provider payment mechanism have been completed, while the impact assessment is still ongoing.
Documents developed:
- Lagos State Health Plan Operational Guidelines
- business process manual
- actuarial report
- benefits package
- Provider Payment Guideline
- Proposal on the Establishment of the Lagos State Health Fund (LASHEF) and Equity Fund.
Development of an information and communication technology (ICT) platform for LASHMA. Currently, the Ministry is in contact with the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop a platform that guarantees a solid flow of information, which is essential for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the program, compliance with established rules and regulations to ensure, prevent fraud and make decisions about rewards and sanctions ICT system architecture is under development
Promotion/Social Marketing Program for LSHS: The ministry engaged with various stakeholders in LSHS-Lagos State Coalition of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA), Health and Managed Care of Nigeria, Health Care Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria, Associations of Nigerian General Practitioners and private nurse practitioners, royal parents of Lagos State, CDC of various LGAs, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Directors of relevant MDAs (Labor Employers) of the State Public Sector), Trade Unions and directors of cooperatives.
The composition of the Lagos State Health Management Board is being finalized. The constitution of the steering committee was also approved
Positioning Healthcare Facility Monitoring and Accreditation for Efficacy:
- E-HEFAMAA – in test
- GIS mapping of all health facilities completed.
- The outsourcing of HEFAMAA functions is underway
- Health facility monitoring tools developed
- Onboarding guidelines are being developed
- The HEFAMAA manual has been finalized