By Asma’u Ahmad
The Oyo State House of Assembly has passed the Health Insurance Agency Bill 2016, after it scaled through the third reading.
Newsmen report that the bill, which was passed into law, was aimed at allowing residents to have financial protection, physical access to
quality and affordable healthcare services.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Mr. Silas Okunlola, while submitting the committee report, stated that the committee
considered inputs and contributions of relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Okunlola said that the law shall ensure equitable distribution of healthcare costs across different income groups and ensure high
standard of healthcare services.
He said the law stated every Health Maintenance Organisation, Insurance Company or Organisation to market, operate or administer
health insurance scheme in the state must be registered and approved by the agency.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Michael Adeyemo, said that the assembly had at its plenary on March 17 mandated the committee to scrutinise the bill and report back to it.
The speaker commended the committee for doing a thorough job before the House unanimously passed the bill into law.
Meanwhile, the House has called on the State Government to review its decision to reduce the subvention of state owned tertiary
institutions.
