The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Nigeria has declared a strict one-hour deadline for the authorization of care and issuance of treatment codes by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).
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‎This was revealed in a statement by the Ag. Director of Media and PR of NHIA, Emmanuel Ononokpono, on Sunday
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‎He said the initiative aligned with the provisions of the NHIA Act 2022 and was agreed upon during a Stakeholders’ Meeting held in February.
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‎According to him, it was part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the authority’s regulatory role and promote timely access to quality healthcare.
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‎NHIA said where delays exceeded the one-hour limit, healthcare providers were instructed to go ahead with treatment and inform the NHIA immediately.
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‎The agency also mandated that HMOs and providers kept proper records of all treatment authorization requests and responses.
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‎The authority warned that sanctions would be imposed on any stakeholder found deliberately delaying authorization
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‎This development follows rising complaints over treatment delays and inefficiencies in the health insurance system.
News Edited by Favour Owonibi