NHIA Enhances Cancer Treatment Coverage to Reduce Costs

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has expanded its insurance support for cancer treatment to alleviate the financial burden on patients and their families. This initiative includes a cost-sharing arrangement where eligible patients are shielded from 80% of the cost of selected cancer medicines.

Under this partnership with Roche, the pharmaceutical company covers 50% of the cost, while the NHIA contributes 30%, leaving patients responsible for 20%. Additionally, the NHIA has introduced financial support for radiotherapy patients, ranging from N400,000 to full coverage.

The NHIA Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, emphasized that the focus should be on providing meaningful financial protection rather than merely increasing insurance enrolment. The NHIA's measures are crucial given Nigeria's cancer burden, with an estimated 32,278 new breast cancer cases and 16,332 deaths annually, highlighting breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Nigerian women.