“This strategic initiative reinforces the NHIA’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that all members of the population have access to quality healthcare without financial or geographical barriers,” an official release issued to the Ghana News Agency, said in Accra.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially open the office, Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, explained that the National Health Insurance Scheme addressed 95 per cent of primary healthcare needs, underscoring the importance of its expansion.
He said the NHIA’s presence in the region was anticipated to simplify health insurance services, enabling individuals and families to easily access the benefits they were entitled to under the Scheme.
He urged partners of the Scheme, including the Ghana Health Service, the Private Health Facility Association of Ghana and the Christian Health Association of Ghana, to refrain from charging members for services and medications that were already covered under the NHIS, terming such practices as “illegal.”
“Often referred to as co-payment, this illegality undermines the sustainability of the Scheme and erodes public confidence in it.
“This is why my team and I are dedicated to putting an end to this issue. However, we need the support of all stakeholders, including staff, NHIA-credentialed facilities, and Scheme members, to achieve this goal,” he said.
“Our commitment to tackling the issue of co-payments—where patients are charged for services already covered by the NHIS—is a key component of our reforms,” Dr Aboagye added.
He indicated that the Government was putting in place strategic measures such as prompt payment of claims, the introduction of E-pharmacy and automatic tariff adjustment, to fight the canker.
“We acknowledge that timely payments to healthcare providers are essential for the curtailing of co-payments. As a result, we are implementing proactive measures to eliminate unpaid claims and ensure prompt payment to service providers,” he said.
Currently, he said government had paid claims up to August 2024, adding that it had no vetted outstanding claims to pay.
“We are now calling on facilities to submit their claims for payment to enhance services under the Scheme,” Dr Aboagye indicated.
Reflecting on the progress of the Scheme, he highlighted that in 2017, the NHIA faced a staggering debt of 1.2 billion Ghana cedis, which equated to its entire budget for that year.
As a result, he said, health facilities went unpaid for a full year, leaving many Ghanaians struggling to access necessary healthcare.
“However, thanks to the dedicated efforts of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, we have successfully reversed this situation.
“Today, we are proud to announce that the NHIA has achieved unprecedented claim payments, with over GHS800 million cedis disbursed in just the past month, along with an additional over GHS300 million cedis disbursed in October,” he said.
On the E-Pharmacy policy, Dr Aboagye explained that the initiative would enable pharmacies to manage prescriptions more efficiently, enhancing medication access for all patients.
“Under this policy, if a credentialed pharmacy (whether part of a hospital or independent) does not have a prescribed medication in stock, they are required to upload the prescription to the E-Pharmacy platform.
“This will help them locate another NHIS-credentialed facility in the patient’s community that does have the medication and guide the patient to retrieve it. Alternatively, the medication can be delivered directly to the patient’s home through the Property Addressing System,” he said.
Mr Karim Musah Kusubari, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for West Gonja, applauded the government and the NHIA leadership for the inclusion of dialysis, mental health and childhood cancers into the NHIS benefit package.
He also hailed Dr Aboagye for his visionary and proactive leadership, which was driving preventive care and reduce the country’s disease burden and cost of care.
“The introduction of the Free Annual Health Check, which allows Ghanaians to receive health assessment during their birth month emphasises the early detection of diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, ultimately helping to lower healthcare costs and enhance quality of life,” he said.
Other NHIA offices opened are the Suaman and Juaboso District Offices in the Western North Region.
GNA
