Total Health Trust is realising its vision as a national leader in bringing quality healthcare to the population of Nigeria via an accessible network of equally committed providers.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
Total Health Trust (THT)’s regional reputation for integrity, service innovation and reliability has made it one of the leading health maintenance organisations in Nigeria and the Company is looking to leverage this status in order to bring even more extensive services to the country’s population.
The Company, a subsidiary of the Liberty Group of South Africa, has been connecting its members to healthcare providers ever since inception in 1998, compiling an unrivalled 18-year track record in the process to culminate in a formidable reputation and an acknowledgement as the HMO of choice for reputable local and multinational corporate clients alike; as well as for Government institutions.
“Total Health Trust is uniquely positioned to be able to offer a wide range of products which caters for clients across multiple sectors, ranging from the informal sector, local and multinational corporates,” elaborates Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nick Zaranyika. “This has attracted a diverse portfolio of clients from these sectors, particularly multinational companies looking for enhanced employee health benefits for their staff.
“THT is also unique because we go beyond just connecting our clients with healthcare. We provide industry leadership through a combination of innovative product design, efficient operations and a focused customer service orientation. We deliver value-added services as an integral component of our plans which cut across maternal and childcare, chronic disease management and other wellness initiatives.”
The subsequent experience, integrity and sheer longevity that THT can boast in the HMO sector has led to it receiving the HMO of the Year award in 2016 at the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Awards, once again epitomising the standard, versatility and quality of service that its partners and clients have come to rely on.
“Our products range from traditional managed care plans to innovative fee-for-service plans suited to both small medium enterprises and large local and multinational corporate clients, as well as individuals looking for comprehensive health cover and flexibility in accessing care,” Zaranyika continues. “The range of products is offered across two distinct platforms; a pure indemnity fee-for-service model, and a managed care capitation model.”
COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS
The fee-for-service model – also known as Liberty Health Cover – is better suited to companies and individuals with medium to high budgets for healthcare, while managed care capitation plans are geared up for low to medium budgets; emphasising the all-encompassing approach that THT takes.
Regarding the former, “the comprehensive benefits offered cover a broad range of primary, secondary and tertiary health treatments including the ability for members to access any hospital within the THT network and the possibility of access to worldwide care and international evacuations”, Zaranyika explains. “All the plans cover day-to-day (outpatient) and hospital (inpatient) including major disease medical care, with emergency evacuation included in the top tier plans.”
The CEO continues: “The managed care capitation model caters for all levels of employees within an organisation. The scheme covers primary healthcare and secondary or tertiary care that requires pre-authorisation. Members can elect only one primary provider while secondary and tertiary care is referred for specialist attention. We have four options under this model which are among some of the most competitively priced in the market.”
Additional services and programmes under THT’s remit include the National Health Insurance Scheme, Surehealth informal sector plan, third party administration, and other value-added services such as chronic disease management and mother and child support initiatives.
“THT has is also expanding its managed care plans to include plans for schools and non-permanent workers,” Zaranyika adds. “THT experienced increasing enquiries from schools looking for health insurance cover for students and teachers, as well as from companies wishing to provide health cover to non-permanent staff. The Company then decided to undertake research and recognised an opportunity to provide solutions.”
To identify such requirements, “THT has a Product Development committee made up of staff from the Marketing, Underwriting & Sales department who work together to get market insights on a monthly basis,” the CEO continues. “These insights are then reviewed with the broader THT management committee to determine core areas of product refocus. The Company also leverages on the actuarial support from its parent company.”
BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE
Further support from the parent company comes in the ability to make sizable investments year-on-year to ensure the Company is continuously improving and staying ahead of the industry curve.
From a technological perspective, Total Health Trust has access to the most up-to-date advanced administration systems and this is then capitalised upon by an equally refined and market-leading workforce.
Zaranyika notes: “At THT, we believe that our staff are our greatest asset and therefore as an organisation we have adopted a robust talent management programme for identifying, developing, supporting and optimising local talent to achieve our business objectives.
The same localised approach is adopted within THT’s supply chain and business partner strategy as well, forming relationships with Nigerian businesses wherever possible.
“All our providers are grounded Nigerian businesses and we go to great lengths to grow and nurture these partnerships,” Zaranyika affirms. “With our clients however, we have a more diverse set as our products are favoured by multinational companies, local corporates and SMEs.”
A local entity attracting international acclaim is the perfect balance from a business perspective but that doesn’t overshadow the domestic commitments that THT has from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective. Last year alone, the Company ran a fundraising event for a cancer foundation, while donations to a school for children with special needs have also been carried out.
“This year, we have also earmarked three additional CSR causes to support, all within the realm of enhancing the welfare of the community around us,” the CEO adds. “In addition, THT places huge value on conducting business within strict, good corporate guidelines with a focus on credibility and integrity.”
Driven by this ethos, THT’s overriding strategic objective is to continue to be the number one preferred and trusted health insurance partner in Nigeria, contributing to the sustainable growth of the country and industry.
Zaranyika concludes: “Over the next few years, we are going to dedicate time and effort into ensuring that we maintain this position by providing the best possible service to our existing clients, while simultaneously attracting new clients with our innovative product offerings and excellent service delivery.”
