The Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) has urged retired civil servants enrolled in its health insurance scheme to utilise their benefits by seeking medical care at their designated healthcare facilities.
The agency also announced plans to conduct a local government area (LGA) enrolment mop-up exercise in October and November 2026 to meet its revised target of 111,865 enrollees under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The call for increased utilisation of healthcare services followed an analysis presented at RIVCHPP’s Third Quarter Management Review Meeting in Port Harcourt, which revealed that retirees were not accessing medical services under the programme as expected.
Expressing concern over the development, the agency emphasised that the health insurance scheme was designed to improve access to healthcare and reduce the financial burden of medical expenses on beneficiaries.
RIVCHPP confirmed that verified Rivers State Government retirees had been registered under the programme, urging them to visit their assigned healthcare facilities whenever they require medical attention.
The agency also advised retirees who were unsure of their designated facilities or wished to change their existing healthcare providers to contact its call centre through 08085315664 or 09046962204 for clarification and assistance.
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It stressed that enrolment in the state health insurance scheme was intended to guarantee access to essential medical services, urging beneficiaries to take full advantage of their coverage rather than allow their benefits to remain unused.
In a related development, RIVCHPP announced an increase in its enrolment target under the BHCPF from 84,054 to 111,865.
According to the agency, the revised target followed the Third Quarter Review Meeting of the Forum of State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs) in Abuja and subsequent correspondence from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
To achieve the new target, RIVCHPP management resolved to embark on an LGA enrolment mop-up exercise in October and November 2026.
The exercise is aimed at expanding health insurance coverage across Rivers State by reaching more eligible residents and increasing access to essential healthcare services.
As part of the preparations, the agency urged eligible residents to obtain their National Identification Number (NIN), which it identified as a key requirement for enrolment in the programme.
The agency said the initiative was part of efforts to extend health insurance coverage to more residents and ensure that eligible individuals could benefit from the state’s healthcare protection scheme.
The statement was issued by the Information and Public Relations Unit of RIVCHPP on October 9, 2026.
