500 level students of COOUTH acquires knowledge on Health Insurance

By Chisom Okafor

The 500 level Medical Students of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH) have acquired knowledge on the operations of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA).

 The Awka campus paid a visit  to receive lectures on ASHIA and Health Insurance in general.

The visit is in line with their curriculum in Community Medicine and Primary Healthcare which require the students to acquire knowledge on health insurance to prepare them for life after school in a global world focused on universal health coverage.

The Managing Director of ASHIA, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi welcomed the Students to the Agency then proceeded to give them lectures on health insurance using Anambra State Health Insurance Agency as a reference.

He gave them the general overview of Health insurance as it’s practiced in the World then narrowed it down to the National and State health insurance schemes in Nigeria.

The introductory presentations were made by Dr. Soughtout Okechi and Mr. Tochukwu Ibeziakor on the overview of Anambra State health insurance scheme.

Mr. Tochukwu gave a detailed presentation on the History of health insurance, ASHIA core Mandates, the overview of the departments in the Agency, enrollment/registration, Access to healthcare, health plans, ASHIA’s progress since inception and Adoption model.

He explained each of the topics extensively to the understanding of the Students who in turn asked questions that were attended to.

Dr Soughtout who presented on Healthcare providers explained in details the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare providers. She also talked on the referral policy, pre-authorization policy and ASHIA benefit package which she informed them consist of primary and secondary packages.

She also lectured them on the end to end system (digitalized system).

The course representative,  Uchechi Alexander on behalf of the Students appreciated the Managing Director for his time and patience in impacting in them the knowledge of health insurance.

He also appreciated ASHIA staff that took out their time to explain to them everything about ASHIA and health insurance as a whole, saying that they will make good use of the knowledge they have acquired for future purposes.

The information officer reports from ASHIA