National Health Insurance Fund bags money

As at November 10, this year a total of 607.2 million Ghana cedis has been collected for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIS), Health Minister Dr Kwaku Agyemang Manu announced on Thursday.

The Minister said the sector has also received 882million Ghana cedis from NHIS and has so far released 540 million Ghana cedis for the payment of claims for the year.

The Minister who was answering questions on the floor of the House said as in April, there was about GH? 746.00 arrears in terms of claims to be paid to health providers, but pleaded with Parliament for more time to furnish it with claims arrears from the period of May to October.

He said the Fund would need at least 299million Ghana cedis before the fund could adequately cater for health insurance claims.

Dr Agyemang Manu said the National Health Insurance Authority receives monthly report on collection of levies into the NHIS and uses this as a basis for reconciliation of the Fund.

He announced that the Authority is employing four strategies to reduce delays in the payment of claims, and named the strategies as the setting up of Claims Processing Centres, introduction of E-claims, Electronic Transfer of claims and the Capitation System.

“Currently, the claims processing centres have been set up in Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti and the Northern regions.

“These centres will handle claims within demarcated zones and reduce the challenge of a centralised system for claims processing,” he said.

According to the Minister, the e-claims system is an electronic payment under which claims management is largely automated while the electronic transfer of claims ensures that providers are paid promptly through the electronic banking system.

The Capitation system ensures that per capita payment is made within the first week of the month. It allows for payment to providers to be made before services are delivered.

The Minister announced that in line with Government’s policy to provide every district with a district hospital as a first referral point at the district level, the Ministry is currently negotiating for concessionary funding to upgrade the Tolon Health Centre in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region to a district hospital.

He also announced that the Ministry has started negotiations for concessionary funding to upgrade the Yamfo Health Centre in the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region to a polyclinic in order to attract the required facilities and medical staff for the district.