NHIA CEO demands an end to illegal NHIS fees

Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has called for an immediate halt to the imposition of unauthorized charges on National Health Insurance Scheme beneficiaries at healthcare facilities.

He indicated that these fees were not sanctioned by the authority and that they have negatively impacted the public perception of the national insurance scheme, making it unpopular.

Dr. Aboagye made the call during the commissioning ceremony of the Lower Manya Krobo NHIA District office complex in Odumase, located in the Eastern Region.

He stressed the detrimental impact of these unauthorized charges and called for the need to uphold the integrity and guarantee accessibility of the NHIS to all eligible members.

He said the NHIS aimed to provide financial access to quality healthcare for citizens, but some health facilities were undermining its progress, adding, "Any provider who goes contrary to the agreed principles will be sanctioned."

He stated that such actions undermine the purpose and effectiveness of the NHIS in providing affordable healthcare services to Ghanaians.

Dr. Aboagye highlighted the importance of eliminating these extraneous costs to restore public trust in the NHIS and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for all citizens.

He called for stringent measures to be implemented to address these illicit practices and protect the rights of NHIS beneficiaries.

The National Health Insurance Scheme covers some aspects of outpatient and inpatient services, maternity care, childhood cancers, family planning, and eye care.

According to Dr. Aboagye, the NHIA has made significant enhancements in claims payment, disbursing an average of 180 million Ghana Cedis monthly for claims reimbursement.

Recently, he said, approximately 171 million Ghana Cedis were allocated to mixed tiers, with lower-tier payments spanning January and February 2024 and upper-tier payments reaching back to November 2023.

He also mentioned that the medicine list and tariff are currently undergoing review to align with economic and epidemiological trends.

In terms of the government's digitalization initiatives, Dr. Aboagye revealed that the NHIA was collaborating with the National Identification Authority to issue Ghana cards to individuals aged six to fourteen years.

This integration would allow for the consolidation of NHIS member details with the Ghana card, enabling the merged card to serve as a healthcare access tool and potentially eliminating the need for separate NHIS card printing costs.

Harry Thompson Baffour, the Eastern Regional Operations Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority, said that the region has a total of 20 district offices, with six operating in rented apartments and the rest, consisting of 14, benefiting from office accommodations provided by the NHIA and the Municipal and District Assemblies.

The Lower Manya Krobo District office complex features a data room, a reception area, a management information system, and offices for the manager and public relations personnel.

Mr. Baffour further mentioned that the regional office was committed to ensuring that the office complex was properly maintained.

After the successful commissioning ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, accompanied by his entourage, proceeded to the Okuapeman palace in Akropong for a social gathering.