DG denies 15 per cent health tax

Puncturing widespread belief, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof. Mohammed Sambo, has insisted that the controversial 15 per cent health tax is false, even as he cautioned against spread of fake news.

President Buhari had, last May, signed the NHIA Bill into law, making health insurance mandatory for all legal residents in Nigeria and expands coverage to over 83 million poor and vulnerable people.

Since the president assented to the bill, there has been public outcry against a section in the Act where every worker would allegedly part with 15 per cent of his or her salary as health tax.

Addressing journalists at the 16th yearly Scientific Conference and All Fellows Congress of the National Post Medical College of Nigeria in Lagos, Sambo said there was nowhere 15 per cent was mentioned in the Act, urging every Nigerian to peruse the NHIA Act 2022 meticulously.