The Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) has filed a suit against the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Joint in the suit is the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Yusuf Usman.
The suit is challenging the “exercise of the powers of the Governing Council of the NHIS by the Executive Secretary, amongst other reliefs’’.
This is contained in a progress report written to the HMCAN Chairman by Grays and Gold Law Firm.
A copy of the report, signed by Miss Onyinye Chikwendu for the law firm, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the Publicity Secretary of the HMCAN, Dr Lekan Ewenla, on Thursday in Abuja.
The suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/347/2017, filed at the Federal High Court, was between the Incorporated Trustees of Health and Managed Care Association and other Health Maintenance Organisations in Nigeria, and the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The report said that the suit was assigned to Hon. Justice A. Chikere at the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Court No. 5, scheduled for hearing on June 6.
“HMCAN have instituted, maintained and prosecuted an action against the NHIS and the Executive Secretary, Prof. Yusuf Usman, regarding the exercise of powers of the governing council of NHIS by the Executive Secretary, amongst other reliefs,’’ the letter said.
NAN recalls that the association had earlier made its position known in a memorandum presented at a public hearing on the repeal of NHIS Act organised by the Senate Committee on Health in Abuja.
“In the memorandum HMCAN wants the NHIS to transform to be National Health Insurance Commission strictly as a regulator with a strong regulatory apparatus to coordinate monitor and sanction erring Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).
“That the appointment of the Director-General of the commission should follow global standard of recruitment of professionals for strategic regulatory bodies.
“That the fund for the public sector social health insurance scheme and other funds that may come from the consolidated revenue or international donors for sustainable development goals and programmes for the vulnerable should be handled by a board of trustees, independent of the commission,’’ it said.
The association also challenged Yusuf to provide documentary evidence for all his allegations of sharp practices against HMOs as a way of strengthening the health insurance operations in the country. (NAN)
