Lower Manya MCE joins CEO of NHIA to commission new health insurance office

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, joined the CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to commission the Authority's brand new office complex at Nuaso, a suburb of Lower Manya Krobo.

Mr. Simon Kwaku Tetteh who is also the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the area joined the CEO to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the NHIS office.

The office complex completed in January 2024 comes with a 100 seater capacity reception area, a 40 seater capacity conference room, 8 Offices, 4 staff washrooms, 4 client washrooms and a kitchen.

The Authority has been operating from rented apartments since its establishment in 2004.

Dr Aboagye Da-said the commissioning affirmed the NPP government’s development in freedom agenda.

The Manya Krobo NHIS building was the fourth NHIS building to be commissioned within five weeks after Sekyere Kumawu, Sekyere East and Atwima Mponua, all in the Ashanti Region with the Kwaebibirem, Abuakwa-South, Suhum, Abuakwa-North and Upper-West Akim offices, all in the Eastern Region at various stages of completion.

Underscoring his commitment to health prevention and promotion, the NHIA CEO proposed a basic health check for all members once a year to enable them to appreciate their health status, adding that this would lead to early detection and treatment of diseases and reduce medical claims.

Dr Dacosta Aboagye warned service providers to stop the illegal charging of NHIA clients at health facilities or face the full rigours of the law.

He stressed that the NHIA intends to put to an end the co-payment system or illegal charges at the health provider sites that are making the scheme unpopular.

The CEO furthered that the NHIA has tremendously improved claims payment, and pays an average of GH¢180 million a month as claims reimbursements.

According to him, about GH¢171 million was paid last week to the mixed tiers, with the lower tier paid for January and February 2024, while the upper tier received up to November 2023 claims.

According to Dr Aboagye, the medicines list, and tariff and medicine list would soon be released after the necessary protocols.

“With all these incentives, health providers must not charge our members for services and medicines that the NHIA is paying for. Any provider who goes contrary to the agreed principles would be severely sanctioned,” the CEO of the NHIA warned.

Dr Dacosta Aboagye explained that the NHIA was collaborating with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to issue Ghana cards for persons aged 6 to 14 years, with the card integrated with NHIS member details so that the merged or linked Ghana Card would be used to access health care.

On his part, MCE for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh, said the NHIA had operated for twenty years from rented apartments in the municipality since its establishment in 2004.

That, he said, inconvenienced the management where, and it took the intervention of the NPP government to address the problem.

The MCE said currently, the active membership of the scheme in the municipality stood at about 77,300.