07/09/2026
*NASHIA Clarifies Referral Code Process, Says Patient Should not Run Around
..As Pharmacist Kaki Enlightens Residents on TISHIP, Code Authorization, Others
Explains Difference Between State and Federal Health Insurance Scheme
The Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency (NASHIA), has clarified the process for referral and authorization codes, saying patients are not expected to run around to get approval for treatment.
Speaking during the NASHIA-sponsored program on Saturday, 5th September 2026, hosted by Michael John Orji Mike on Option FM 92.3 Akwanga, the Director of Health Services, Standards and Quality Control of NASHIA, Pharmacist Kaki Maikudi Kudu, said primary healthcare services do not require a code. He explained that when a patient first visits a facility, no code is needed until a doctor assesses the case and determines that it is above primary level and requires a specialist.
At that point, he said, the doctor is expected to inform the desk officer who will then request the code directly from the agency. “The patient is supposed to sit and wait. The issue of code is a connection between the doctor and the desk officer, not the patient,” he said.
Pharmacist Kaki added that in cases of emergency, hospitals are expected to save lives first before seeking authorization. He said NASHIA has never failed any facility that followed due process and urged providers not to keep enrollees waiting unnecessarily.
He also addressed delays in hospitals, attributing part of the problem to verification processes put in place to check fraud and impersonation. According to him, some people use other people’s cards, which forces facilities to verify beneficiaries on the portal before treatment. He advised facilities, especially government hospitals, to use passport photographs already submitted by enrollees on their folders to speed up clearance instead of waiting for portal checks each time.
On the difference between state and federal schemes, Pharmacist Kaki explained that while the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, is owned by the federal government and covers federal civil servants, NASHIA is owned by the Nasarawa State Government and covers state civil servants and other residents of the state. He said individuals who want to join health insurance can choose to enroll with either the national or the state scheme, but the advantage of a state scheme like NASHIA is proximity because the agency has offices within the state where complaints can be addressed easily.
He said the state insurance law was first introduced in 2018 to set up an office. The law came into effect fully in 2019 when the state government adopted it, and the treatment aspect of the program commenced in 2020 when state civil servants joined. He said the agency is still in its early stage but has recorded progress.
Pharmacist Kaki said the value of health insurance far outweighs the contribution. According to him, a person who contributes 18,000 naira in a year may spend 10,000 to 20,000 naira on the first hospital visit alone, and over a million naira in a year with repeated visits. He cited pregnancy as an example, saying a woman who pays 18,000 naira will be covered from antenatal care to delivery, which would cost far more without insurance. He described the contribution as negligible compared to benefits that can be more than 100 times what is paid.
On changing facilities, the Director said the process is simple. An enrollee can go to the agency or a zonal office to apply with reasons such as relocation or poor service. The fee is 1,000 naira and it takes 45 days to take effect. He explained that if the change is done mid-month, the enrollee will continue to enjoy services at the former facility until the next capitation is paid to the new facility. He discouraged frequent changes over minor issues and advised enrollees to report poor service so the agency can address it.
He said students in tertiary institutions pay 3,000 naira for a whole session and are fully covered, including married students. He said students can access care anywhere in the country and that NASHIA will either contact a nearby facility to treat them or refund them with evidence of payment.
He added that NASHIA is working on visiting private tertiary institutions to register students and sensitize them. For secondary schools, the fee is 1,000 naira per term, which is 3,000 naira per year, with 150 naira remitted monthly to the school clinic. Schools can liaise with the PTA to enroll, but the school clinic must first be registered as a service provider at no cost. He also said staff of private schools can enroll by paying 3 percent of their salary while the employer pays 7 percent to make the 10 percent required, and they will enjoy the same services as formal sector workers.
He stated that vulnerable persons do not pay the 10 percent copayment for drugs, and this also applies to students in primary and secondary school under the vulnerable category. The family package is 75,000 naira and NASHIA covers more than 100 illnesses. He listed some services not covered such as rehabilitation, treatment of cancer, injuries from extreme sports like polo, epidemics such as cholera, measles and meningitis at epidemic stage, injuries from war or riot, mental illness beyond minor cases, repatriation of remains and DNA tests. He said hepatitis A, B and C are covered, while major mental health cases are not yet covered but the agency is working on it.
Pharmacist Kaki called on civil servants who have not registered to do so, and also called on farmers and other people in the informal sector to enroll. He said there is an ongoing house-to-house sensitization program in the Akwanga zone named after the Keffi model. He assured that all issues raised will be addressed and said as long as a person resides in Nasarawa State, NASHIA is for them.
