Yobe Assembly passes amended health insurance law, grants investment powers to agency

Yobe State House of Assembly has amended the law establishing the State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, YSCHMA.

The amendment now allows YSCHMA to utilize its reserve funds for investment purposes, potentially boosting the agency’s financial stability and enabling it to better serve the healthcare needs of Yobe State’s residents.

The House amended the law after the adoption of the report by its standing committee on primary health care, YSCHMA and YODMA on the bill seeking for the amendment of the Law.

Explaining the amendment, the chairman of the committee, Sanda Kara Bade said the investment will enable the Agency expand its source of income to enhance its programmes to achieve the universal health coverage.

Speaking on the inclusion of retired civil servants into the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, YSCHMA, programme, the committee’s chairman revealed that despite meeting with the leaders of the Yobe State Pensioners’ Association, they were unable to secure the association’s consent to include retired civil servants in the programme. This development may hinder the inclusion of retired civil servants in the YSCHMA programme, which aims to provide healthcare coverage to its beneficiaries.

Bade assured the pensioners association that the doors of the House will remain always open pending their further decision on the need for them to be included into YSCHMA scheme, considering that most of the pensioners have health issues which include hypertension and Diabetes that need government intervention.

Responding on the matter, the Secretary of the Yobe State Pensioners’ Association, Garba Wakili Chukwuriwa, said most of their members cannot afford to pay the monthly contribution of five percent as stipulated in the YSCHMA amendment bill.

The Secretary expressed interest in registering under the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA) program, citing Governor Mai Mala Buni’s inclusion of pensioners in the new minimum wage.

He added that the association plans to continue meeting with YSCHMA and the House committee to advocate for their members’ inclusion in the scheme, which aims to improve universal health coverage and access to affordable medical care.