The Osun State Government has increased the capitation rate for service providers under the state’s health insurance scheme from ₦570 to ₦700 per enrollee.
The Executive Secretary of the Osun Health Insurance Agency (OSHIA), Dr. Rasaq Akindele, disclosed this on Wednesday during the Fourth Quarter Service Providers’ Forum Meeting held at the Staff Development Centre, Osogbo.
He explained that the increment was necessitated by current economic realities and added that the rate would be reviewed upward again in due course.
Dr. Akindele noted that the quality of healthcare delivery across the state has improved significantly, with a reduction in complaints and an increase in public satisfaction with the scheme.
He stated that pending allowances for service providers were being cleared, and some facilities would receive payment before the end of the forum.
He further announced that the government plans to extend the scheme’s eyecare services to private schools and their teachers, noting that the process is ongoing but temporarily delayed due to the current financial situation and withheld local government funds.
Addressing newsmen, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer at the State Specialist Hospital, Osogbo, Dr. Dare Racheal Folashade, stated that the scheme has made quality healthcare more accessible to residents, especially mothers who could not afford high medical costs.
She urged the government to expand the range of covered services to further improve public health outcomes.
In his own words, the Medical Director of Alpha-P Hospital, Osogbo, Dr. Olatunji Odebunmi, commended the capitation increase but emphasized that it must continue to reflect market realities as the cost of drugs and medical supplies continues to rise.
He also highlighted the need to expand the scheme’s coverage, noting that only about 500,000 residents are currently enrolled out of the state’s estimated five million population.
He stressed that increased participation from informal workers would enhance the sustainability of the health insurance programme.
Also speaking , Head of Staff for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, Dr. Akinpelu Ayodeji, explained that the current benefit package covers both primary and selected secondary healthcare services such as malaria, typhoid, cataract, and cesarean section.
He called on all accredited healthcare providers to strictly adhere to the scheme’s guidelines and ensure the provision of quality care to all enrollees.
