The National Health Insurance Management Authority is assessing health facilities countrywide for possible accreditation as health care providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Speaking when members from the authority paid a courtesy call on Acting Kalabo District Administrative Officer Simasiku Simasiku, delegation leader Cynthia Kachamba said once accredited, the initiative will help revamp the target health facilities.
Ms. Kachamba, who is also Health Professionals Council of Zambia (HPCZ)Â senior training officer, said beneficiaries shall locally access health services adding that only ailments requiring specialized treatment will be referred elsewhere.
She revealed that the scheme has a lot of benefits for both the beneficiaries and accredited health facilities.
She said the delegation was in the district to assess Kalabo District Hospital and Yuka Adventist Mission Hospital for possible accreditation as the scheme’s health care providers.
Meanwhile, Acting Kalabo District Administrative Officer Simasiku Simasiku observed that there was need for mass sensitization about the National Health Insurance Scheme and its benefits.
Following the enactment of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018 and gazetting of Statutory Instrument number 66 of 2019, beneficiaries have started contributing to the scheme effective 1st October 2019.
In accordance with Section 15(1) of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018, the scheme is a contributory entity at the prescribed rate of two percent with the employee contributing one percent and the employer contributing another one percent of the monthly basic salary.
The authority targets to register about 700,000 scheme members by February next year.
The focus is to register employees, pension managers and the informal sector whereas everyone above the age of 18 years and below 65 years is eligible for registration.
Scheme regulations, health benefits package and accredited health care providers shall be communicated in due course while members of the scheme shall be eligible to access health benefits with effect from 1st February 2020.
During the transition period, administrative measures such as registration of members, issuance of membership cards, accreditation of health care providers and all functions incidental to the implementation of the scheme shall be undertaken.
Another scheme to defraud the Zambians. Should they have done this before they started deducting money from workers. PF is going in 2021, the deferred Bill 10 vote after sensing defeat speaks volumes.
Another scheme to defraud the Zambians. Should’nt they have done this assessment before they started deducting money from workers. PF is going in 2021, the deferred Bill 10 vote after sensing defeat speaks volumes. National Health Insurance was brought in dead just like Bill.10
I hope money will not just go in the bottomless pit like other failed projects syphoned money from the economy. It was rushed to be turned into law when the nation was not ready for it. There are workers who are on health schemes at their work place but they are forced to pay towards this National Health Bill because of turning into law. This is double deduction. Poor workers have no option but to see their pay slips being toxic again with another form of tax. The other thing is that workers would rather keep their health schemes intact in fear of joining the bandwagon where they will be receiving shoddy services. This is a scheme designed to steal from poor workers of Zambia.
Only PF affiliated facilities will participate in the sharing of the NHI cake! You will see many houses being turned into makeshift clinics. Not long from now, the NHI Authority will be asking for an upward adjustment in percentage contributions to 4% – 2% employee and 2% employer contribution! Watch the space!
People can’t pay for insurance if they are going to be referred to government clinics with no doctors and no medicine. This scheme is haphazardly started without clear cut guidelines such up to what value of Bill’s will the insurance cover? Will private hospitals be included? What if someone’s contributions are low and others are high will they be able to get the same sort of treatment, how will the clinics and hospitals recover their monies from the insurance scheme