FG doubles health payout, adds new code to speed up patient referrals

The federal government has doubled the health insurance capitation fee for enrollees from N750 to N1,450 per person.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said in a statement on Saturday that the move is aimed at strengthening service quality and access to affordable care.

He said the development aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda and Nigeria’s target of achieving universal health coverage by 2030.

“For years, the capitation stood at N750 per person. We have doubled it to N1,450 to ensure providers are properly equipped to deliver consistent, high-quality care,” he said.

The minister added that fee-for-service rates have also been raised by 380 percent to reflect current costs and enhance care standards.

“Fee-for-service rates have also been increased by 380%, based on actuarial evidence aligning cost-reflective rates with quality requirements,” Pate stated.

He said expanding insurance is critical, as out-of-pocket payments still account for a large portion of health spending.

“Out-of-pocket payments still account for about 70 percent of health spending. Expanding insurance coverage is the surest way to reduce this burden,” Pate said.

According to the minister, more than 2.4 million Nigerians were newly enrolled in 2024, bringing total coverage to about 20 million people.

To improve efficiency, Pate said the government has introduced a one-hour referral authorisation code to reduce delays in transferring patients from primary to specialist care.

He also directed the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to begin covert “mystery shopping” to monitor healthcare providers and ensure enrollees are not denied treatment.

Pate added that ongoing reforms under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the NHIA are improving patient confidence and driving wider adoption of health insurance.