The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has charged the NHIA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye to be courageous and implement positive change as he takes on the mantle of duty as the Authority’s head.
Osagyefuo bemoaned how poverty has engulfed a rich country like Ghana despite the abundance of natural resources and encouraged the new Chief Executive to use his office to provide equal opportunities for the poor living in rural areas.
The Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa State, said this when Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, and his entourage, paid a courtesy call to him at his Palace in Kyebi.
Dr Aboagye seized the opportunity to inform the Chief and his Elders of his plans to strengthen the scheme and make it more attractive and sustainable in the future.
Briefing the Okyenhene and his subjects; he noted that “Under the Digitalisation agenda of the government, we are mandated to have One Card and that’s the Ghana card. Some of the age groups that are below 15 years have no Ghanacard, but NHIS cards are printed for them”.
According to him, “this card would be integrated with the NHIS member details so the merged or linked Ghanacard is used to access health care. This will save the nation the cost of printing NHIS cards as well as Ghanacard. The merge or linked Ghanacard is used to access healthcare”.
He further noted that the NHIA is also instituting a system where non-Ghanaians (Foreigners) will also benefit from Health Insurance through a Mandatory Health Scheme, whenever they are in Ghana.
Speaking further, he noted that the NHIA has tremendously improved Claims Payment and pays an average of GHS 180 million a month as Claims reimbursement.
He confirmed that about GHC 171 million was paid to mixed tiers just last week, 30th April with the Lower tier being paid in January and February 2024 while the upper tier received up to November 2023 Claims.
He asked for counsel and support to help him achieve this vision.
Thereafter, the team went on to inspect an ongoing building project in Suhum that will house the NHIS District office when completed.
-BY Daniel Bampoe