Glo Offers Subscribers Affordable Health Insurance

In furtherance of its resolve to make life more abundant for Nigerians, telecoms giant, Globacom, has entered into partnership with  National Health Insurance Scheme to help improve access to quality health care among Nigerian population.

Tagged: “Mobile Health Insurance”, the product was formally unveiled in Abuja on Monday by top Globacom officials and senior officials of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Briefing journalists at the press conference, Globacom’s Regional Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Ashok Israni, said the package was developed in partnership with the NHIS to take health care of millions of Nigerians through their telephone handsets.

“There are millions of Nigerians yet to tap into the immense benefits of health insurance. This initiative will open a viable avenue for some of these people to come under the health insurance coverage, enabling them to sign up for one of the many Health Management Organisations accommodated in the scheme,” said Israni.

According to him, Glo subscribers are required to dial *616# on their mobile phones and be instantly admitted to the Glo Health platform, where they can follow a simple registration process.

Once they subscribe, Globacom customers will be able to use their mobile phones for pre-defined medical treatment for which affordable premiums are remitted through the subscribers’ mobile phone.

The platform, according to him, also guarantees Globacom customers and other Nigerians free medical consultation and medication in over 8,000 hospitals in the country.

Israni said Globacom’s package comes with supply of drugs free of charge from NHIS accredited operators across the country for subscribers who are consistent in the payment of their premiums.

He explained that the premiums have been deliberately made affordable for virtually everyone. He said subscribers can pay N35 per day, N250 per week or N1000 per month to qualify to benefit from the mobile insurance package.

“We do not know when we will fall sick and require medical attention. The beauty of health insurance is that it takes away the burden of worrying whether you will have any money left in your account or in your wallet when next you fall sick. With health insurance cover, anytime you fall sick, you can rest assured that you will have access to quality medical treatment even if you have nothing left in your wallet or in your bank account,” he said.

He said the product will go a long way in realizing the national objective of extending health insurance to Nigerians regardless of their financial status or social class.

“Together with our partners, Salt & Einstein MTS and NHIS, Globacom is committed to achieving universal health coverage for all Nigerians within the shortest time possible,” Israni concluded.

The Executive Secretary of NHIS, Dr. Femi Thomas, said that the scheme lessens the cost of treatment for subscribers by allowing them to share the health care cost. He thanked Globacom for collaborating with the other partners on the innovative scheme.

The Chairman of Salt & Einstein MTS, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, stated that the scheme will help to encourage Nigerians to seek medicare when they are sick without being afraid of its cost. According to him, with the new product, the fear of health care cost among Nigerians would disappear.

SOURCE:THISDAY