The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) and the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) have signed an MoU on health insurance for its pensioners.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU on Monday in Kaduna, KADCHMA director-general Abubakar Hassan said the scheme’s benefits for the pensioners were immense.

He explained that with health insurance, pensioners would access health care services from any public or private health facility across the state without spending from their pockets.

With this, Mr Hassan said, pensioners could receive the care they needed without worrying about the financial burden of accessing healthcare services.

He disclosed that the annual premium for the health insurance scheme was N10,600, thereby making it affordable for pensioners.

He thanked Kaduna’s pension bureau and the state chapter of NUP for embracing the scheme. He urged other organisations, associations and bodies to follow suit and enrol their members in the social insurance scheme.

Also, the chairman of NUP in Kaduna, Aboman Ladan, said the MoU signing marked a significant milestone in their efforts towards ensuring that their members have access to quality healthcare without financial burdens.

Mr Ladan commended KADCHMA for their commitment to making healthcare affordable and accessible to all while urging their members to take advantage of the scheme and enrol in the health insurance programme.

Doing so, he said, the pensioners would live healthy and fulfilling lives, free from the worry of medical expenses.

Also, the national representative of the NUP, Ahmed Garzali, described pensioners as the most vulnerable, and they were affected most by fuel subsidy removal.

He said the health insurance for their members in the state is a step toward addressing their out-of-pocket spending on health while calling for sincerity of purpose and full implementation of the MoU.

Earlier, the health commissioner, Umma Ahmed, said the collaboration between KADCHMA and the NUP marked a monumental step in the state government’s collective efforts towards ensuring the health and well-being of its pensioners.

(NAN)