C/R ranked among three best NHIS branches

The Central Region branch of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), was ranked among the three best performing branches in the country at the end of the first half of the 2015/2016 operation period.

Mr Francis Oti Frimpong, Regional Director of the NHIS, disclosed these at the end of a three-day half-year review conference organised at Winneba.

Mr Oti Frimpong attributed the Region’s laudable achievements to the high sense of commitment and team spirit, strongly supported by collaborative efforts and hard work from the staff.

He said currently, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has a total of 160 permanent operational schemes throughout the country,

He said information sharing, effective monitoring, regular meetings, intensive outreach programmes, capacity building which enhanced procurement process, and effective internal control mechanisms were some of the factors which contributed to the advancement of the NHIA’s activities in the Region.

The Regional Director said that notwithstanding this achievement, the Region recorded some challenges during the period under review, principal among them included, delay in payment of claims to accredited health service provides.

According to him, this resulted in abuses ranging from Cash and Carry, co-payments, extortion, and negative press coverage among other things.

He expressed happiness to announce that both the unpaid outstanding claims of accredited Health Service Providers in the Region for 2014 and January, 2015 has been fully paid, leaving February and March indebtedness to settle.

Mr William Omane-Agyekum, Director, Central Regional Claims Processing Centre (CPC), said that claims payment constituted 80 per cent of NHIA funds, expressing worry that some of the claims submitted by some providers were not legitimate.

“There is therefore the need for good collaboration between CPC and the District Offices to enhance effective claims management,” he said.