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HEALTH

Kintampo Municipal Health Insurance holds mid-year review

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a social intervention program to provide access to quality health care for all residents in Ghana and those who are on visit to the country is regulated by a body known as the National Health Insurance Authority with branches across all districts in Ghana.

Date Created : 8/6/2019 7:27:14 AM : Story Author : Rufina Yuoni/Ghanadistricts.com

As part of promoting transparency, accountability, accessing gains and losses at all levels, the scheme engages stakeholders and the public at mid-year and end of year to review operations of the scheme.

The Kintampo Municipal Health Insurance Authority true to its traditions held a mid-year review meeting at the Kintampo North Municipal Assembly Hall on Thursday, the 1st of August, 2019.

The Regional Director of the NHIS, Joseph Mensah said the Nation Health Insurance Scheme takes away classes in health delivery and provided equity through its three groups of facilities, Government, Private and quasi government–private institutions. While commending the efforts of all service providers, he called for continuous patience, improvement of relationships with clients and called for calm in the light of delayed payments of claims.

“When I took over 2015, claims were still outstanding now we have been able to make payments till September 2018 and any provider has claims further than July has a serious problem”, he indicated.

Mr. Joseph Mensah Regional Director of NHIA giving his speech

Mr. Mensah revealed that 11 million Ghanaians were registered to the scheme as at 30th June 2019, an improvement of 15% white being of praise for electronic renewals and receipt.

However, payments of claims on time, cases of co-payments parallel shops in Community Health Posts, recycling of claims and the indoctrination of claims were disclosed as challenges of the scheme and authority in the region by Mr. Mensah.

Mr. Michael Sarkodie Baffoe, the Municipal Chief Executive for Kintampo North also thanked services providers for their indispensable efforts and called for closer relations between National Health Insurance Authority, service providers and clients. He assured the gathering of government support and expansion of NHIS while conceding to its shortcomings and promising to work to resolve such challenges such as the untimely payment of claims by government to produce a healthy population that will deliver on its development mandate.

The Municipal Director for Health Services in Kintampo, Madam Alice Afuah Vorleto emphasized the importance of the National Health Insurance and asked for a review of the Claims Processing Centre (CPC) set up as she asked for the vetting of claims to be reverted to the districts.

Mr. Jacob Amoako Adoeson District Manager NHIS Kintampo Municipality giving his Presentation

A PowerPoint presentation of the mid-year review was then carried out by the Kintampo District Manager of the Health Insurance Authority, Mr. Jacob Amoako Adoesom. He indicated that, 29 in 2018 with a registration of 31,349 people out of the target of 34866 set. Out of the two planned special registration exercises, all were done with the registration of individuals under the Likelihood Empowerment Against Private (LEAP), indigents, and vulnerable groups in partnership with the department of Social Welfare accruing 3,464 people representing 98% of the set target of 3,514.

Mr. Amoako also disclosed that, an amount of GHC314, 650 was realized from premiums out the planned GHC349, 182 with 14,315 persons renewing their membership through mobile renewals.

Major among the challenges of the Kintampo Health Insurance Authority as brought to light were; a lack of vehicle for monitoring and other important assignments, co-payments, inability of some subscribers to renew using personal phones and the lack of an active credential pharmacy shop. Going forward, Mr. Amoako and his outfit resolved to acquire 80% of membership through mobile renewals, deploy staff to service providers to assist them grievances, intensify education on E-renewals and liaise with the Municipality Assembly for a temporary vehicle.

Mr. Abraham Num PRO of KIntampo Municipal NHIS (MC) for the program

An open forum was conducted right after the mid-year review with most questions and suggestions centering on the Claims Processing Centers (CPC) their operations, and challenges as well as the untimely payments of claims.

The Regional Director of the Health Insurance Authority, Mr. Joseph Mensah at this juncture announced that, electronic submission of claims was imminent to deal with issues regarding the submission of claims as well as a new vehicle for the Kintampo Health Insurance Authority by December 2019. Others also called for further education using the mass media on electronic renewals.

Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adusei, Director of college of Health and Wellbeing who chaired the event also called for the expansion of the forum to encompass mere clients of the scheme. He called for the enhancement of the electronic platforms and tasked all unit heads present to share all issues arising from the review with members of their units. Finally he said never again to the cash and carry system.