The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has announced that it has cleared the outstanding debts owed to healthcare providers under the Scheme.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Dr. Da-costa Aboagye, payments have been made to cover claims up to August 2024, with some further disbursements made in October 2024.
He shared this update during the inauguration of the Authority’s new district office in Juaboso, Western North Region, on Thursday.
“In 2017, the NHIA struggled with a staggering debt of 1.2 billion Ghana cedis, reflecting its entire annual budget and which hindered timely payments to healthcare facilities and adversely affected access to care,” he pointed out.
“Today, the NHIA boasts an unprecedented payment of claims, having disbursed over GHS 800 million cedis in just the past month, with additional over GHS300 million payments made in October.
“We have now paid claims up to August 2024 and we currently have no outstanding claims.
“We are actually calling on facilities to submit their claims for payment,” he stated in a release copied to Ghana News Agency.
Addressing the Chiefs’ durbar in Juaboso, Dr. Aboagye highlighted the government’s dedication to making healthcare more accessible to the public.
He noted that the newly established district office reflects the Authority’s effort to broaden its reach and enhance service quality. The physical office will also provide support to individuals who face difficulties in registering or renewing their health insurance due to restricted access to digital platforms.
“The NHIA recognises that many residents in rural areas face challenges when trying to access health insurance services, especially those who may struggle with digital tools like the “MyNHISapp” or the USSD short code *929#.
“Our aim is to ensure that no Ghanaian is left behind in accessing quality healthcare…By making services more accessible through district offices, the NHIA hopes to increase coverage under the NHIS, a crucial component of achieving universal healthcare in Ghana,” he said.
Dr. Aboagye noted that the number of active members on the National Health Insurance Scheme had grown from 10 million in 2015 to 17.8 million by December 2023.
He also emphasized that the Authority is committed to sustaining a strong healthcare system and putting an end to the practice where healthcare facilities bill patients for services already covered by the NHIS.
Other initiatives, he noted, were the introduction of the “E-pharmacy policy” which would allow pharmacies to manage prescriptions more effectively, and ensure “patients have better access to necessary medications.”
The Chief Executive praised the recent inclusion of mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and others on the NHIS.
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Member of Parliament for Juaboso, urged the public to “protect and sustain” the NHIS which remained “a vital social intervention that has benefited countless individuals.”
Deputy Minister of Finance and the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate for Juaboso, Dr. Alex Ampabeng, stressed the significance of digital tools in simplifying the NHIA registration process, encouraging citizens to enroll in the scheme.
A similar office has also been launched in Suaman, within the same region, with additional offices slated to open in the West Gonja, Kpandai, and Savelugu districts soon.