title: Risk management assessment of Health Maintenance Organisations participating in the National Health Insurance Scheme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), operated majorly in Nigeria by health maintenance organisations (HMOs), took off formally in June 2005. In view of the inherent risks in the operation of any social health insurance, it is necessary to efficiently manage these risks for sustainability of the scheme. Consequently the risk-management strategies deployed by HMOs need regular assessment. This study assessed the risk management in the Nigeria social health insurance scheme among HMOs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of 33 HMOs participating in the NHIS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Utilisation of standard risk-management strategies by the HMOs was 11 (52.6%). The other risk-management strategies not utilised in the NHIS 10 (47.4%) were risk equalisation and reinsurance. As high as 11 (52.4%) of participating HMOs had a weak enrollee base (less than 30,000 and poor monthly premium and these impacted negatively on the HMOs such that a large percentage 12 (54.1%) were unable to meet up with their financial obligations. Most of the HMOs 15 (71.4%) participated in the Millennium development goal (MDG) maternal and child health insurance programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weak enrollee base and poor monthly premium predisposed the HMOs to financial risk which impacted negatively on the overall performance in service delivery in the NHIS, further worsened by the non-utilisation of risk equalisation and reinsurance as risk-management strategies in the NHIS. There is need to make the scheme compulsory and introduce risk equalisation and reinsurance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Princess Christina
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Managed Healthcare Ltd Ilupeju Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Patrick Chukwuemeka
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Korie
authors.affiliation: Exogen Consulting Ltd, Surulere Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Feziechukwu Collins
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Nnaji
keywords: Health maintenance organisations; National Health Insurance Scheme; risk equalisation; risk management