Health facilities extorting money from clients have been advised to desist from such behaviours because, it had the tendency of breaking people’s interest in the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS), Mr Alexander Fordjour, Acting Ahafo Regional Director, National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) has said.
According to him, despite the NHIA improving its payment of claims, some providers exploit clients by demanding payment for services covered by the scheme when they seek medical treatment at their facilities.
He said the introduction of the NHIS in 2004, had shown to be the robust way of health financing for the country.
Mr Fordjour was speaking at the 2021 end of year review meeting of the Ahafo Region of the NHIA at Hwidiem in the Asutifi South District.
The meeting was attended by close to 50 participants from five districts who are District Managers ,Public Relation Officers , Accountants ,Management Information System officers, regional staff ,Claim Processing Centre (CPC) and invited service providers.
Mr Fordjour highlighting on the region’s performance during the year under review said the active membership currently stood at 410,535 which, represents 104 per cent of the annual target of 393,666
Indicating, the active membership of 410,535 represented 72.7 per cent of the total population of Ahafo which is 564,668.
He added, 178,671 NHIS members in the region renewed their memberships through the mobile renewal service during the year under review as against 168,777 in the year 2020 , registering an increase of 6 per cent.
Mr Fodjour said the region embarked on free registration where over 59,000 people were enrolled onto the scheme, indicating it was part of their mandate to make healthcare accessible to the poor and vulnerable.
Mrs Edna Gyau Baffour, Deputy Director , CPC Kumasi NHIA,in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the meeting expressed how the country was relying on the staff of the NHIA to achieve the UHC and reminded them of the daunting task required from them.
She told the staff of the NHIA to encourage the usage of mobile renewal by the clients which is more convenient, easy and less stressful and as well would also afford the staff more ample time to do more registration of new clients.
