Tuesday, March 3, 2015, has been set aside for the media launch of the Nigerian Entertainment Industry Health Insurance Scheme, NEIHIS. This will take place at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos by 11am prompt at the Inner Crockpot of the hotel.
The scheme, which is under the direct regulation of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, has two private plans, Standard and Ultra and both are at affordable premiums. The plans can be procured by individuals, corporate groups or families. A family will consist; husband, wife and four biological children.
Aside the practitioners of the entertainment and media industry and their nuclear families, NEIHIS also covers all the employees of entertainment and media outfits including band members, set designers, journalists, sound engineers and other auxiliary service providers and affiliates. All the benefits covered by the premium will also be unveiled at the launch.
The scheme which is now affiliated to over 350 NHIS accredited hospitals nationwide is working assiduously in a very rare partnership with three ‘Health Management Organizations (HMOs) namely; Healthcare International, Premium Health and United healthcare International to achieve this great feat. Upon registration, an enrollee’s identification cards will take just two weeks to process.
However, every enrollee is required to pick a primary provider (Hospital) either close to his or her residence or office. This will act as the primary provider while other hospitals referred to as the Secondary providers can still be accessed when enrollees are out of their location at no cost at all. The list of hospitals will be made available to enrollees upon enrollment to choose their preferred hospitals. Forms can be submitted in about 33 states of the federation or completed online. The official website will also be unveiled shortly before the launch of the scheme.
All enrollees under this scheme are also automatically qualified to benefit from the Nigerian Entertainment Industry Health Trust Fund, NEIHTF.
The trust fund is being established to cater to most cases of terminal ailments not covered by insurance and also to eradicate the phenomena and stigma of public fund soliciting by entertainers/celebrities on health grounds.
