On this page

Step by step

  • Ask for a written estimate and the hospital's account name and number. Most private hospitals in Lagos ask for a deposit of N50,000 to N200,000 before an emergency admission, even for HMO members.
  • If there is an HMO, give the hospital the member's HMO details and ask them to request the authorisation code. Ask what the plan pays towards and what it does not; benefit limits on basic plans can be as low as N150,000 for inpatient care.
  • Send the deposit by app into the hospital's Nigerian account. Transfers pay out in naira only since May 2026; check the rate you get on the day.
  • Ask for a receipt in the member's name and a running bill. Photograph everything.
  • Before discharge, get the discharge summary, the prescription and the follow-up date in writing. This is the moment recovery goes wrong for want of anyone holding the thread.

What to ask the hospital

  • Is the doctor treating them a consultant or a house officer, and who is responsible for the case?
  • What is the diagnosis, in plain words, and what are the next steps?
  • Which items on the bill are covered by the HMO and which are cash?
  • Can a relative or a nurse sit with them, and at what hours?

Doing this less often

The steps above are for an emergency bill. Separately, a Kinship Plan gives the family the Kinship care team and one shared record that holds the history and medicines and keeps everyone informed. It costs £20 a month, and adding visits brings a named Kinkeeper. It does not pay the hospital bill.

Questions people ask

Can I pay a Nigerian hospital directly with a UK card?

Some large private hospitals accept international cards; most do not. A transfer app into the hospital's Nigerian bank account is the reliable route.

What if the HMO delays the authorisation code?

The NHIA rule since 1 April 2025 is one hour. If it is not issued, the hospital is meant to treat and inform NHIA; complaints go to NHIA's state office.

Support after a hospital stay

If this is your situation, the page below shows how a Kinship Plan applies to it, with prices.

Support after a hospital stay

Related

Sources

  1. NHIA one-hour authorisation rule (Channels TV, April 2025)
  2. NHIA enforcement of the rule (Premium Times, Sept 2025)
  3. Lagos hospital deposits and consultation costs (lagos.cool, May 2026)
  4. An HMO's published individual plan schedule: limits, waiting periods and exclusions (2025)
  5. CBN naira-only payout rule (WeeTracker, May 2026)

Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Where a figure comes from a commercial provider, the source is described rather than named, and nothing on this page recommends a provider.

This page is information, not advice. Kinship wrote it from the sources listed above and checked it on the date shown. It is not medical, legal, financial or insurance advice, and it does not take account of any one person's circumstances. Decisions about treatment belong with the person and their doctor; decisions about money, insurance or immigration with the person and a qualified adviser. Our platform terms apply.