Government has continuously held the hopes of National Health Insurance Scheme Services (NHIS) providers of getting their claims paid in limbo. The service providers however continue to struggle to come to terms with government as far as their claims payment is concern.
Information gathered indicate that, as against consistent claims by authorities of the scheme that it was paying all service providers including the Christian Health Association, government is still in arrears.
This paper can say authoritatively that since government had paid till April 2013, it ceased settling the debt owed the service providers till now. No reason whatsoever has been given to this delay.
However, patience is beginning to run out of the service providers who are having hard times continuing to render services to patients under the scheme.
It could be recall that the Christian Health Association of Ghana called off its strike action when the Health Minister Sherry Ayittey called on them to shelve their intended action with the promise that the Finance Ministry is expected to release funds for the payment of the claims.
After that decision, the Communications Director of the Authority Mr. Ametor Quarmyn, revealed that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has initiated processes to ensure service providers across the country are paid, and even told the whole nation that it had started paying all service providers.
He said, the money used in this payment is from the National Health Insurance levy which is collated by Value Added Tax (VAT) and those monies do not come direct to the NHIA.
Interestingly, since May 2013, the accounts of the service providers are still blank with nothing coming from government to settle their part of the agreement as regards claims payment.
Checks conducted by this paper revealed that the NHIA owes the 183 health facilities under the Christian Health Association, in excess of 45 million Ghana Cedis. It also owes private hospitals, pharmacies as well as clinics running to billions of Ghana Cedis.
This paper has gathered therefore that, service providers who have been held in this unfortunate situation are soon to boycott rendering services to patients who come to their outfit with the NHIS card.
In 2004, Ghana started implementing a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to remove cost as a barrier to quality healthcare. Providers were initially paid by fee – for – service.
In May 2008, this changed to paying providers by a combination of Ghana – Diagnostic Related Groupings (G-DRGs) for services and fee – for – service for medicines through the claims process.
