NHIA struggling under Akufo-Addo – Minority

Minority in Parliament has accused the Akufo-Addo government of collapsing the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Speaking to the media after approval of formula for disbursement of National Health insurance fund, ranking member for the health committee Kwabena Mintah Akando said the scheme is struggling to pay service providers.

The Juaboso Mp also accused the NHIA of wasting funds on none priority areas.

“I think there is everything wrong with the National Health Insurance scheme and we need to be very frank with ourselves. I believe that we are spending so much money on unnecessary things as far as the funds is concerned. We concentrate on the core functions of the scheme. The most important thing as far the NHIA is concerned is payment of claims.

“If you look at the formula that has been presented to us, we are using around 60% to pay service providers and the scheme is struggling, it is struggling,” he told Starr News Ibrahim Alhassan.

He added the government is using funds from the NHIA to settle many unrelated policies and programs including corporate social responsibilities.

According to a report by the state-owned Daily Graphic, NHIA owes the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital GhC6.175 million for services the facility renders to the patients under the scheme, the amount which has elapsed for eight months starting from May to December 2018.

Due to the nature of the situation, the Chief Executive Officer of the CCTH Dr. Eric Kofi Ngyedu has sent a letter to the Chief Executive of the NHIA to fast track payments to enable the hospital to continue attending to patients with NHIS cards.

The letter dated March 11, 2019, was titled: “Distress call for payment of claims.”

It said: “The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital wishes to make a distress call for the payment of its claims following the financial difficulties it is going through.”

The letter said the call has become necessary because “orders for supply of essential medicines and non drugs consumables are not being delivered on account of our inability to pay average debts due to suppliers.”

“The long delay in repayments of claims seriously affects cash flow and the operations of the hospital. It is the considered position of the hospital that the continuous retention of 10 % of claims submitted when payments were made continue to affect the ability of the hospital to recover the cost of procuring supplies.”

“It has further added to our inability to fully meet our commitment to our suppliers. As of the close of the year 2018, a total amount of Gh 3,189,400.40 had accumulated by the way of the 10% retention since October 2014,” it said.

A study conducted at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital showed that the NHIA owes the hospital Gh 100,000.00 to 150,000.00.