Bernard Oko Boye
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has paid over GH¢471 million to its accredited healthcare providers in just 42 days, covering claims submitted for periods up to January 2023.
This marks a significant achievement for the NHIS, which has returned to the approved 90-day arrears window, owing only two months of claims for February and March 2023.
The NHIS has 17.2 million active participants, representing nearly 55% of the population, the greatest figure since the scheme’s inception.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has credentialed over 4,500 health facilities across the country, including public, private, quasi, and faith-based facilities with a variety of levels.
Since 2022, the NHIA has introduced robust innovations geared towards enhancing productivity, improving efficiency, and increasing visibility and brand recognition.
The organization has also taken measures to eliminate financial barriers confronting the NHIS, including the introduction of the Free Elderly Care Policy and the setting up of decentralized co-payment committees to curb illegal payments.
The NHIA has also improved its claims reimbursement process, paying an average of between GHC 150 to GHC 200 million per month in claims.
This has been made possible through the organization’s engagement with the Ministry of Finance, which has improved significantly, resulting in more frequent releases to the fund.
The NHIA continues to work towards building a more resilient health insurance scheme that responds to the needs of all, providing more access to quality and affordable healthcare services in Ghana.
By Vincent Kubi