Western Region NHIA intensifies public campaign

Emmanuel Reinfred Okyere, the Western Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority, (NHIA) has said his Office is embarking on an aggressive public campaign, to create awareness on the operations of the Scheme, so as to register more members.

He said a membership drive in 2020 could not achieve its target due to the emergence of COVID-19.

He recounted that, in the light of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 protocols, Scheme members were being advised to use the mobile renewal platform to renew their membership by dialling the shortcode *929#.

He, therefore, encouraged those whose membership has expired to fall on the shortcode to renew their membership especially, now that COVID-19 was surging so as to avoid overcrowding in the Authority’s district offices.

Mr Okyere who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency explained that the options provided on the mobile renewal platform was the easiest way to get membership renewed, and have all challenges resolved without person-to-person contact.

He said, in November 2020, the Authority also made sure that all citizens were given the opportunity to have access to the scheme during the National Health Insurance Scheme Week celebration.

Mr Okyere mentioned that the year 2020 saw a massive improvement in claims management that resulted in the reduction of indebtedness of the scheme to Providers.

The Regional Director hinted that COVID-19 safety protocols have been put in place in all its offices in the region to ensure the safety of members and staff ensure that the disease is brought under control.

He refuted claims that members using the scheme were being offered inferior medicine and stated that, the NHIA does not produce its own medicine contrary to the long-held notion that NHIS produced medicines are not efficacious.

“Let me say that the NHIA does not own a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company”, he said.

He said the Authority has put in place measures to increase the number of health facilities on the electronic claims submission to fast-track the process of claims management and urged all credentialed health care facilities to update the NHIA on any changes that may occur at their respective facilities.