AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Under NHIA schemes you receive care through a health maintenance organisation (HMO) and an accredited facility, and for employees the HMO is usually chosen at enrolment through the employer. We could not confirm from an official NHIA page as at October 2026 how often an enrollee may change HMO, so ask NHIA or your employer's HR before switching; NHIA's FAQ says complaints can go to NHIA offices, HMOs or its call centre if an HMO is not serving you.
How HMOs fit into NHIA cover
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) oversees health insurance in Nigeria under the NHIA Act 2022. Under its schemes, contributions pay for care at NHIA-accredited facilities, and HMOs manage that care: they register you, issue your enrollee ID, pay the hospitals and approve referrals. Your HMO and your primary care facility are the two choices that shape your experience day to day.
NHIA's FAQ describes the formal sector programme for public sector and organised private sector employees. It covers the contributor, a spouse and four biological children under 18, and extra dependants can be registered. NHIA states the contribution as 10% of basic salary from the employer and 5% from the employee, and on the same page as 3.25% employer and 1.75% employee of a consolidated salary; the page does not reconcile the two, so ask your HR which basis your employer uses.
Choosing an HMO
If you are joining through an employer, you may be offered a list of HMOs or one may already be chosen. If you are choosing yourself, compare them on what you will actually use:
| What to check | Why it matters | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals near home and work | You will mostly use one primary facility | Ask for the HMO's provider list for your plan and area |
| Quality of that primary facility | A poor primary facility affects every visit | Visit it; ask colleagues who use it |
| Authorisation speed | Referrals and tests need the HMO's code | Ask how codes are issued out of hours |
| Accreditation | Only accredited HMOs operate under NHIA | Confirm with NHIA; do not rely only on the HMO's own claim |
| Complaint handling | You will need it eventually | Ask for the HMO's complaints contact and timelines |
Picking the primary facility matters as much as picking the HMO. Choose one you can reach in under an hour in traffic, open at the times you are free, with a pharmacy and laboratory on site if possible.
Changing your HMO
What we could confirm
NHIA did not publish a rule on HMO change frequency on its FAQ page when we checked in October 2026, and we could not open its operational guidelines. Do not assume you can switch at any moment. Under the formal sector programme, your employer's arrangement with HMOs can limit your options, and switching may need to happen at a set point in the year.
A commercial guide published by NairaCompare in July 2026 makes practical points that apply whatever the formal rule: notify your current HMO in writing, quoting your enrollee ID and the last day of cover; check your contract for a notice period, which it says is often 30 or 60 days in private plans; and line up the new HMO so there is no gap. It also notes that new plans can apply waiting periods to pre-existing conditions, commonly 6 to 12 months in private cover. Under NHIA schemes, ask the new HMO whether any waiting period applies before you switch.
Steps to follow
- Write down why you want to change: distance, quality of the facility, refused authorisations or slow service.
- If the problem is the hospital, ask your HMO whether you can change primary facility instead, which may solve it without changing HMO.
- Ask your HR (formal sector) or the state scheme (informal sector) whether, when and how you can change HMO, and for any form they use.
- Notify your current HMO in writing and ask for written confirmation of your last covered date.
- Register with the new HMO, choose your primary facility and get your new enrollee ID before the old cover ends.
- If you are mid-treatment or pregnant, ask both HMOs in writing how ongoing care will be handled before you switch.
Changing primary facility versus changing HMO
- Change facility
- Same HMO, different hospital. Ask the HMO how it handles the request. Fixes distance and quality problems.
- Change HMO
- New manager for your cover. Involves your employer or scheme, new ID and possibly timing rules. Fixes poor authorisation and service from the HMO itself.
For a fuller look at escalation, see how to complain about an HMO or hospital under NHIA, and for joining in the first place, NHIA enrolment for individuals.
Before switching, make a short list of the care you expect in the next year, such as antenatal visits, regular medication or a planned procedure, and ask each HMO in writing how it would handle it. A switch that saves a long drive can still cost more if a needed service is not covered or needs a new waiting period.
Where Pryme fits
Out-of-pocket health costs still arise under NHIA cover. A Naira Flexible Savings Box can hold a small health buffer apart from everyday money, and your Personal Assistant can prepare reminders for HMO renewal dates, with nothing moving until you approve.
Questions people ask
Can I change my HMO under NHIA?
Changes are possible, but we could not confirm the official frequency rule from an NHIA page as at October 2026. Ask NHIA or your employer's HR when and how you can switch.
How do I choose the best HMO in Nigeria?
Compare the hospitals on each HMO's list near your home and work, how fast it issues authorisation codes, its accreditation with NHIA and how it handles complaints.
Can I change my hospital without changing my HMO?
Ask your HMO; changing primary facility to another on its list is handled by the HMO and may not require changing HMO.
Where do I report a bad HMO in Nigeria?
NHIA's FAQ says complaints can go to NHIA offices, HMOs or the NHIA call centre; you can also email info@nhia.gov.ng.
Sources
- NHIA frequently asked questions (National Health Insurance Authority) · accessed Oct 2026
- How to switch HMOs in Nigeria without losing coverage (NairaCompare, 9 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.