Frank Torblu
The Health Insurance Service Providers Association of Ghana (HISPAG) has called on government to increase the current National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) premium of GH¢30 to GH¢50 to save the scheme from possible collapse.
The association is also requesting one percent of the petroleum revenue as an additional funding source to the NHIS.
At a news conference in Accra, the Executive Director of the HISPAG, Frank Torblu, said presently the NHIS is financed through the National Health Insurance levy 2.5%, SSNIT contribution, NHIS premium, donor funding and returns on investment.
“On average, a person pays a premium of GH¢30 and the scheme pays an average claim of GH¢75. This has created a financial gap of not less than GH¢450 million represented as GH¢45 per utilization and for an average utilization of over 10 million insured clients of the National Health Insurance Scheme,” Mr Torblu disclosed.
“The current funding cannot support the existing claims presented by the service providers to the National Health Insurance Scheme,” he indicated.
Mr Torblu added, “It is evident that if stringent measures are not taken to introduce some other funding sources, the indebtedness of the NHIS to the providers would swallow the scheme leading to its collapse in the near future.”
Bemoaning the situation, Mr Torblu indicated that the period for the review of tariff had not been adhered to by the scheme, making prices at which services were provided outdated and added that the providers were making losses to the extent that some could not even buy essential drugs, pay utilities timely and other administrative expenses.
“We therefore suggest to the cabinet and the government to heed to the call of setting aside 1% of the petroleum revenue to support the operations of the NHIS in addition to the proposal from the management of the NHIS to save it from collapsing under the watch of their leadership,” he added.
By Abigail Owiredu-Boateng