Service Providers of the NHIA urged to stop co-payment, illegal charges to restore member confidence

Fred Appiah, Central Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has stated that the membership drive was key to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) targeted in 2030.

He indicated that the review of tariff and service charges upward as well as improvement in claims reimbursement were all efforts to make the scheme better.

He, therefore, called on Service Providers of the Authority to stop co-payment and illegal charges to help restore member confidence to attain and sustain UHC for the improved health status of the nation.

Mr. Appiah made the call in a statement read on his behalf at a stakeholder’s engagement,organised by the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Office of the NHIA at Winneba, the capital of Effutu.

The Meeting was under the theme: “Accelerating membership growth to achieve and sustain Universal Health Coverage, using technology mediums; the experience so far”.

Mr. Appiah announced that in 2018, the NHIA launched the Electronic receipting platform to enhance social auditing and accountability of revenue collection at the NHIA district offices in the country.

This, he said had substantially promoted electronic reconciliation of its accounts and promoted transparency and efficiency in the financial operations of the scheme.

According to him, in December 2018, government supported management of the Authority to launch a mobile renewal system to enable members whose cards had expired to conveniently renew their cards, using mobile phones without walking to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) branch offices.

He indicated that this innovation had led to remarkable increase in the proportion of members who renewed their membership annually, thereby improving population coverage of the scheme.

The Regional Director informed the gathering that currently, close to 18 million people were active members of the scheme, representing 56.72 percent of the population, an increase from 40 percent in 2019.

He stated, that of the number, more than 80 percent were old members who used the mobile application to renew their membership, adding that Central Region had an active membership of 1,278,180 as at November 2022 representing 44 percent of the population.

“The good news is that management of the scheme has gone a step further to make it possible for people to use the mobile application to register as new members using their Ghana Card and we need to be applauded”, he stated.

He entreated stakeholders of the NHIA to spread the good news, since insurance strives on increased membership through the use of technological medium.

‘NHIA is the country’s lead vehicle towards achieving UHC and it is estimated that at least 80 percent of the country’s population must be enrolled unto the NHIS this year “, he added.

Mr Appiah stressed the urgent need for innovative strategies on all fronts if the sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will be achieved, he said.

“I am proud to announce that the benefit package which covers 95 percent of diseases in the country now has 521 medicines in the medicines list, and four childhood cancers added unto it including family planning service while prostate cancer will soon be added, the Regional Director noted.