The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is making significant strides under the new leadership of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Da-Costa Aboagye.
Recent developments, indicate a promising future for the scheme, benefiting various contributors, including ordinary payers, SSNIT contributors, children and foreign-based Ghanaians.
During a workshop for selected journalists in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, NHIA officials, highlighted the scheme’s progress.
From Board Chairman, Dr Ernest K. P. Kwarko to CEO Dr Da-Costa Aboagye, it was evident that the NHIS, with 30 million subscribers and 17.9 million active members, is on a new path. They encouraged Ghanaians to sign up to fully benefit from the notational scheme.
Deputy Director of the Information Management System, Joseph Annor, emphasized the importance of enrolling on NHIS, even for those with private health insurance.
He stated, “You’ll never realize this until you’re involved in an accident on a highway and your private insurance can’t take care of you.”
Annor, emphasized the Authority’s efforts in deploying competent human resources and integrating information technology, including various internet-based programmes to achieve its objectives, urging unregistered Ghanaians to quickly implement the scheme.
Annor, also discussed the evolution of the scheme’s membership systems, from booklets to smart biometric cards.
He disclosed that, various technologies are being deployed to have members prompted about the renewal of their premium payment.
One such, is to receive a call from a robot and told about the payment and another means to have the Money deducted from one’s mobile money account. This will ensure that subscribers, stay active all the time.
Dr Aboagye, announced at the media forum in Kumasi that, the NHIS, has cancelled all enrolment payments for SSNIT contributors.
He explained that since SSNIT contributors already support NHIS through their contributions, imposing additional fees was unfair.
Waiving this fee, ensures automatic enrolment for all SSNIT contributors, who currently pay about GH¢8 to join the insurance scheme.
Dr Aboagye, also revealed that, NHIA has absorbed the cost of issuing cards for an estimated three million children, enabling them to access primary healthcare.
The NHIA will pay GH¢245 million to the National Identification Authority (NIA) to provide Ghana Cards for children. This move aims to ensure universal health coverage (UHC) for all.
The initiative, also involves linking NHIS cards with Ghana Cards. Nearly 900,000, out of one million active SSNIT contributors on NHIS, have been linked to their Ghana Cards, with an additional 1.3 million records undergoing data cleaning.
Dr Aboagye pointed out that, providing Ghana Cards to children under 15 years, would improve membership data and save costs.
The NHIA Board, decided to hand over card printing to the NIA, ensuring that only the national identification card, is used for accessing primary healthcare under NHIS.
Furthermore, Dr Aboagye, mentioned a proposal to introduce preventive healthcare programmes focusing on hypertension, diabetes, and body mass index check-ups.
These programmes, expected to be rolled out this month, aim to help the nation achieve UHC by 2030.
Wellness centers and clinics, will assist subscribers in maintaining their health, with annual birthday messages, reminding them to check their health status at government hospitals at the scheme’s expense.
For non-resident Ghanaians visiting the country, Dr Aboagye, said the NHIA, is seeking advice from the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, as well as Cabinet approval, to issue NHIS cards.
Board Chairman, Dr Ernest K. P. Kwarko, emphasized that health insurance is key to national development, calling for media support to improve the scheme for the benefit of the vulnerable.
Deputy Director of Quality Assurance, William Omane-Adjekum, noted that the nation saved GH¢9.5 million from fraudulent claims last year.
The digital payment platform, has exposed fraud and abuse, with AI being used to monitor insurance claims in real time.
Deputy Director in charge of Claims, Theophilus Owusu-Ansah, mentioned that the authority handles between GH¢20 million and GH¢30 million in insurance claims from service providers annually.
These claims cover free maternal care, cancer treatments, and family planning, with hypertension, diabetes, and maternity care being the largest cost drivers of the scheme.
Ag. Director of Corporate Affairs of NHIA, Oswald Essuah–Mensah, disclosed plans to make the Sheme’s call centre more responsive to the needs of subscribers.
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