INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Health insurance scheme is the pooling of resources through

structured and guided contributions towards equitable distribution of

standard health services to the poor or rich Forum of Federal Health

Institutions Nurses and Midwives of Nigeria (2003).

An established health insurance will provide equitable access to care

of adequate quality that is affordable through sustainable facilities. In

all health insurance is a system where the rich pay for the poor and

the well pay for the sick. The objectives of the scheme are:

● To ensure that every Nigerian has access to good health

services;

● It is also to protect families from financial hardship of huge

medical bills

● Limit the rise in cost of health care services

● Ensure equitable distribution of health care costs and maintain

high standard of health care delivery services.

● National Health Insurance Scheme is intended to improve the

general outlook of health provision in this country.

● It is a set to standardize health care down to the smallest clinic

such that facilities will be as required.

● About payment of fees the greatest concern here is how fees

are paid to professionals.

● Fee for service is paid based on facilities therefore the best

facility is one that conforms with the minimum standard of

NHIS.

The idea of health insurance in Nigeria was first considered in 1954

and then in 1962 1980 1984 and finally in 1988 when committees

were set up and reports submitted. The idea of operating health

insurance in Nigeria followed the great successes achieved by many

countries in Europe and the America. In 1962 when Nigeria

pondered over the idea of health insurance the provision for health

services was not quite as stretching owing to the lower number of

people then. The governing council and the scheme are responsible

for the general administrative conduct and period review of procedure

manuals in the operations of the scheme. The head office which is

situated in Abuja has zonal offices in all the geopolitical regions of

the country. The employers are to facilitate the payment of

employees’ contribution by deducting from the source. Employers

are to pay 10% of employees’ monthly salary while the employer

contributes 5% to make a net of 15%. The employee is then entitled

for services to self spouse and four children or like births; the

children are covered by parental contribution up to 18 years or 25

years if still in school. Contributors that have more than one wife

more than four children or resident relations can register extra

dependents and pay slightly more Issues in Contemporary Nursing

in Nigeria Volume One (2003)

Despite the access they have to good health services and the

protection they have from financial hardship of medical bills still

health care providers are not fully involve in registering with the

health insurance scheme. It is in this view that the researcher intends

to find out the perception of health care providers towards National

Health Insurance Scheme in specialist hospital Bauchi.

Statement of the Problem

Literature has shown that there is need for health care providers to

have adequate quality care that is affordable through a sustainable

facility yet majority of health care providers have not registered with

the National Health Insurance Scheme. There is a data to show that

health providers are not involved in registering with the health

insurance scheme therefore the issues which arises for this study is

asked “what are the perception of health care providers towards

National Health Insurance Scheme in specialist hospital Bauchi”?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to identify the perception of health care

providers towards National Health Insurance Scheme in specialist

hospital Bauchi. Specifically the study intends to:

● Find out why health care providers do not register with health

insurance scheme.

● Identify factors that hinder the acceptance of health care

providers towards National Health Insurance Scheme.

● Identify the strategies that will motivate the health care

providers towards National Health Insurance Scheme.

Significance of the Study

When factors responsible for hindering the acceptance of National

Health Insurance Scheme are identified both the specialist hospital

Bauchi and government of Bauchi state will adopt and integrate such

strategies in improving the acceptance of health care providers which

will help them in getting adequate quality care that is affordable.

Research Questions

The following questions are formulated to guide the study:

i. Why do health care providers not register with health insurance

scheme?

ii. What are the factors that hinder the acceptance of health care

providers towards National Health Insurance Scheme in

specialist hospital Bauchi?

iii. What are the possible strategies that will motivate the health

care providers towards National Health Insurance Scheme in

specialist hospital Bauchi?

Scope of the Study

This study covers only the perception of health care providers

towards National Health Insurance Scheme in specialist hospital

Bauchi.