Insurer blames late start of entertainment health insurance on beneficiaries’ apathy

Mr Seun Apata, the Founder, Nigeria Entertainment Industry Health Insurance Scheme (NEIHIS), has blamed the late start of the plan on failure of the beneficiaries to return their completed registration forms.

Apata, who is also a journalist, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.

He, therefore, called on all the beneficiaries, who were yet to return their registration forms, to do so.

“If you look at the Industry, especially in Lagos, the problem has been getting people to bring back their forms.

“Several record labels have taken forms in 30s in 40s, trying to sign up their artistes and the staff.

“NEIHIS is not something that will grow fast on the industry.

“I think it’s something that will grow steadily when people start seeing that this actually works and is actually for the benefit of all of us in the industry.

“Some people come here, ask questions, go with forms, but as a policy, we told ourselves that we are not going to rush people to bring back their forms.

“When you take forms like 20 or 30 or you take two forms, when you are convinced that it’s good for you, you will definitely bring the forms (back).

“So if we probably introduce aggressive marketing like pursuing people to bring their forms, I’m sure by now probably, NEIHIS would have like a hundred released because the forms I have are more than 300 or 500, if I’m not exaggerating.

“Because I remember at a point last year, forms were going out like almost every day, soft copy, people even downloaded on the site.

“So we believe that with time, it’s something that will grow on the people.’’

He expressed the belief that in spite of the delay, the stakeholders in the entertainment industry would eventually warm up to the idea and enrol.

NAN reports that the insurance scheme was specifically launched for the entertainment industry in 2014, with a view to addressing the health challenges and sudden death amongst industry practitioners.

A trust fund was also launched alongside the scheme, with entertainment heavyweights such as Ali Baba, Sammie Okposo, Sani Danja, 2Face, and DJ Jimmy Jatt as members of the board of trustees.

Apata said that the insurance scheme would help the entertainment industry reduce the increasing rate of illness and death amongst entertainers.

NAN also reports that the recent death of a musician cum comedian, Nomoreloss, from health-related complications, led to calls for the immediate take-off of NEIHIS.