Utilization of the National Health Insurance Authority Scheme Among Civil Servants at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The financial hurdles are still very much there and represent a big hurdle to access to health care in Nigeria. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), originally the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), was created to offer financial risk protection to enhance access to quality healthcare. While there has been an increase in enrolment of the formal sector personnel, little is known about the use and satisfaction with NHIA services by civil servants in the mission operated health facilities. The study investigated the use of the National Health Insurance Authority Scheme by public servants who are health care users at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo, Ebonyi State. A descriptive cross-sectional study approach was used. The sample size of 150 respondents was picked using convenience sampling and set by the Taro Yamane formula. Data were acquired by a semi-structured questionnaire prepared by the researcher. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were employed to analyse the data. The results suggest that 135 (90.0%) of the respondents attended healthcare within one to four days of the onset of illness, indicating a high level of healthcare utilisation. Regarding out-of-pocket expenditure, 72 (48.0%) of the respondents paid between ₦1,001 and ₦2,000 on drugs during their last healthcare visit. Generally, the respondents were satisfied with the health care services they received from the NHIA and 70 (46.7%) responded that they had satisfactory experiences. However, 102 (68.0%) of the respondents were of the opinion that the plan needs improvement especially in waiting time (53.3%), staff attitude (46.7%) and supply of vital drugs (28.0%). The study showed that health care utilisation was high and the experiences of the insured civil officials were generally favourable. However, there is a need for improving service delivery including reduction of waiting time, better staff-patient interactions and constant supply of key medicines to maximise the benefits of the initiative.

Keywords: National Health Insurance Authority; Health Insurance; Healthcare Use; Patient Satisfaction; Public Servants; Nigeria

Citation

Egondu OH, Francis EI. Utilization of the National Health Insurance Authority Scheme Among Civil Servants at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. WebLog J Fam Med. wjfm.2026.h2803. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22162624