The Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency says it has commenced the enrollment of students in tertiary institutions into the agency’s Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme.
The enrollment, it noted, will eliminate out-of-pocket expenditures for students, parents and the institutions.
Director-General of PLASCHEMA, Dr. Fabong Jemchang, said this in Jos, during a meeting with the leadership of Plateau State tertiary institutions.
He said the essence of the meeting was to intimate the leadership of the various state tertiary institutions with the modalities and operational guidelines of the scheme.
According to him, the Tship premium package which cost N12,000 has been subsided by the state government to N4,000 per annum (per school session) due to the high premium it placed on the students.
Dr. Jemcheng explained that the students would be enrolled at the beginning of each session using the enrollment form that would be made available at their medical centres.
He added that the students can use their ID cards to access health care for the session and the premium would be renewed every session.
He pointed out that the plan covered minor surgeries, fractures, High Blood Pressure, antenatal, malaria and urinary tract infection treatment, among other illnesses.
Dr. Jemcheng said that the Tship scheme would increase the health insurance uptake and safety social net cover for students.
He described the state health agency as the biggest social safety net provided by the government to eliminate out-of-pocket expenditure and to improve the health indices of the people.
He called on the public, especially those who are yet to enrol into the scheme, to do so, noting that it also serves as a means of financial protection for the enrollees.
The Student Union president, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Vom, Mr. Christopher Bamka, described the scheme as a laudable one and urged students of the state tertiary institutions to get enrolled.
The Student Union President, College of Agriculture, Gakawa, Ms. Endurance Levi, commended the agency for the initiative, and called on students to key into the scheme, as it would reduce to the barest minimum out-of-pocket expenditure.
(NAN)
