NHIS Law under review

By Ruth Oppong-Nyarko & Jamila Akweley Okertchiri

THE CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah, has observed that there will soon be a law to allow the scheme to operate as an independent legal entity with regards to accountability and efficiency.

“The law under review has been gazetted and submitted to parliament,” he added.
Addressing a delegation from Congo Brazzaville, the CEO admitted that the scheme had gone through some challenges. “We don’t have a perfect system but what is good is that we have a good political system,” he said.

He explained that the system is facing expenditure challenges as the outflows are exceeding inflows, adding that claim payments account for more than 75 per cent of total income generated from taxes and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

“GH¢394.27 million representing 76.2 per cent was used as payments of claims for the year 2010,” he noted.

He noted that the insurance covers up to 95% of health related issues in the country but cautioned the Congolese government not to go that far as that country is new in that area.

Mr. Mensah also observed that the scheme is undertaking some strategies in order to ensure universal health care coverage for all Ghanaians.
“With the consolidated premium account as well as the claims processing center that the scheme has created, all premiums collected is now managed at the district level,” he said.

Mr. Mensah stated that the system currently operates on three schemes: district mutual scheme, private mutual scheme and private commercial scheme, adding that the objective of the service is securing the provision of basic healthcare services to persons resident in Ghana.

He was hopeful that there will soon be a time when foreigners will have to provide health insurance coverage before being accepted into the country.

The delegation lead by Sinibagoy Nollet Bayi, lauded the Ghanaian authorities for sustaining the system and also being able to achieve such a height in the health sector adding that this informed the team’s visit.

“We have come as a result of the fact that the Congolese government is putting up health insurance for all and because Ghana has been in it since 2003, we have come to know how it is faring with regards to challenges and satisfaction.”

He also commended the NHIS for a good relationship between the various intuitions operating under it.

Commenting on the one-time premium payment, Mr. Mensah said that although it will face challenges, it will help generate stock that can go into investment. “We have conducted a consumer survey and it has shown that people are willing to join the one time premium system,” he said

The Congo Brazzaville delegation in a group photograph with management of NHIS.