Lagos state has expanded its Ilera-Eko health insurance scheme, introducing lower-cost plans and widening benefit coverage as part of efforts to reduce out-of-pocket medical spending and accelerate compliance with its Mandatory Social Health Insurance Programme.
The move came as the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) began a two-day capacity-building programme for journalists aimed at strengthening public awareness, improving reporting accuracy and driving compliance in Africa’s largest city.
Health insurance remains one of the most difficult financial products to market despite its protective value, said Olatunji Rotimi, head of business development at LASHMA.
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“Health insurance is about digging your well before you are thirsty. Nobody plans to fall sick, but when it happens, it can wipe out everything you own. What we do daily is convert ‘no’ to ‘yes’ in a very price-sensitive environment,” Rotimi said.
Under the revised structure, the Standard Plan costs N10,000 annually, while the Standard Jàràh Plan is priced at N15,000 and offers expanded benefits. A Jàràh Plus option targets micro-enterprises, cooperatives and corporate organisations seeking affordable staff coverage.
Other packages include seniors’ plans, school-based plans, tertiary institution plans, diaspora coverage and tailored group plans for associations.
“All our plans are significantly cheaper than private HMO products,” Rotimi said, noting that the scheme operates on a not-for-profit model focused on equity rather than returns.
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Olugbenga Fadipe, head of medical operations at LASHMA, said benefit categories are uniform across plans, with differences largely tied to coverage limits and duration.
“No plan is inferior. Everyone walks the same path; some plans simply go further,” Fadipe said.
Covered services include primary and preventive care, specialist consultations, maternal and child health services, hospital admissions, surgery, diagnostics, physiotherapy, dental and eye care, mental health support and treatment for pre-existing conditions such as hypertension.
Cancer treatment and dialysis become accessible from the second year of continuous enrolment, subject to plan-specific caps.
Emergency services are provided through the LASHMA Elite programme in partnership with public and private ambulance providers, while 24-hour telemedicine enables remote consultations. Indigent residents are enrolled through the state’s equity fund, financed by one percent of consolidated revenue and supported by partnerships.
Emmanuella Zamba, the agency’s permanent secretary stressed the importance of public awareness and accountability, urging residents to understand their entitlements under social health insurance.
“Health insurance is about planning for the unexpected. Every citizen should understand what they are covered for,” she said.
Registration is available through LASHMA’s head office, kiosks, accredited hospitals and online platforms, according to Uche Igweonyia, head of sales and agent coordination. Civil servants are required to register offline, while members of the public can enrol digitally.
“Any of our accredited hospitals is a registration point because the scheme is now mandatory,” Igweonyia said.
She added that proof of Lagos residency is encouraged but not mandatory, as the state seeks broad enrolment to strengthen pooled-risk financing.
At the training, Boniface Kassam of the International Society of Media Public Health urged journalists to prioritise ethical reporting on health matters, warning that misinformation can cause panic and undermine public trust.
“Unlike political stories, misrepresenting patients or health services can cause panic or even harm,” Kassam said, recalling lessons from the Ebola crisis.
The programme, addresses emergency care financing, provider accountability and benefit limits, as Lagos steps up efforts to achieve universal health coverage and reduce out-of-pocket spending in a country where millions still pay directly for healthcare services.
