NHIA has cleared all arrears to providers - Deputy CEO

Yaa Pokuaa Baiden, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Administration and Human Resource at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has disclosed that the Authority has been able to clear all arrears owed providers since 2016.

She disclosed that they have also paid all arrears in 2020 up to April and have initiated the payment processes to all providers of the Authority for May 2020.

She advised providers to make sure claims were brought on time so that they could be vetted and paid on time.

Mrs Baiden disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the sidelines of a thanksgiving service by the Regional Directorate of NHIA at the Bethel Methodist Church in Takoradi to climax its Week Celebration.

She also hinted that her outfit had been able to introduce a lot of new innovations to aid the system by improving claim processing with 30 percent E-claims, and web-based portal where credential facilities did not need to come to the Head Office from all over the country for renewal of credentials.

She explained that through digitization there had been a significant cut down on fraudulent services that would have gone to waste.

She said the Authority had 4,300 credential facilities throughout the country, both public and private operating under the Ghana Health Service (GHS) through the CHP Compounds, Maternity Homes, Secondary, Primary and Tertiary facilities.

She urged members of the Scheme to always insist on their rights for the needed service or attention and asked them to read through their Subscriber Handbook, which was available at their offices to know about their rights and responsibilities as well as the benefits that awaited them.

“The Handbook also gives information on the drug lists so that when providers deny them of any drug that is covered by the Scheme then they can insist on the right one to be given to them,”.

Mrs Baiden added that the Scheme also offered in-patients and out-patients services (OPD), dental services, maternal and maternity services be it antenatal, post natal or surgical cases through normal deliveries and cesarean services.

“The NHIS is a pivotal instrument in making sure that we achieve universal health coverage and as part of its week-long celebration is leaving no one behind”.

“In achieving universal health coverage we need to make sure that our membership is at the highest for a generous benefit package then, we can provide the financial backing for it”, she emphasized.

She encouraged Ghanaians who were not members of the Scheme to get registered and implored all non active members to do well to renew their membership to also enjoy the benefits the Scheme offers.

“If your card has expired then it means you are not an active member so you need to renew your membership which you can do by dialing *929# for renewal without having to go to our offices”, she divulged.

Mrs Baiden noted that the Scheme has nearly 23 million subscribers but only 11 million were active, hence, the Authority was making sure that the inactive members were encouraged to activate their membership by using the shortcode.