The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has within days made additional payments in excess of GH¢87 Million Cedis to its service providers across the country.

A statement from the NHIA Corporate Affairs Directorate, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra explained that in a recent publication issued by the Authority, the Scheme’s managers have paid GH¢598, 940, 611.70 to NHIS Service Providers as claim payments made so far in 2020.

However, the additional payments now brings the total claims paid to GH¢686, 021, 529.04 as at June 18, 2020 which included withholding taxes paid on behalf of the providers.

These rapid payments, the statement said, were a manifestation of the pledge made by its Chief Executive, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby in a recent media interview, where she said: ‘going forward will be publishing claims payments made on behalf of service providers to re-assure all stakeholders of the transparency of our payments’.

Of the total amount paid, GH¢685, 192, 368.63 represents actual claims which were paid in the following order.

Public health facilities have this year received GH¢360,633,694.60 representing 52.6 per cent of the payments whiles the private service providers have been paid GH¢199,330,418.26 pegged at 29.1 per cent, the statement said.

Mission health facilities (CHAG) have also received GH¢112, 133,897.40 representing 16.4 per cent whilst Quasi-Government service providers were GH¢13, 094,358.36 representing 1.9 per cent of the total payments made to date.

According to the statement, 46 per cent of the sum paid was made up of payment for medicines prescribed by the service providers and is estimated to be approximately GH¢320, 000,000.00.
“It will be recalled that a recent statement jointly issued by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana and the Chamber of Pharmacy accused health care facilities funded by the NHIA of failing to pay for pharmaceutical products supplied to them for more than 12 months.

“This development is worrying and of great concern to the Authority as it has the potential to adversely affect the medicine supply chain and negatively impact on the quality of care that the NHIA aspires to obtain for the Ghanaian public,” the statement said.

The statement said management strongly urges healthcare facilities funded by the NHIA to promptly settle their debts to the pharmaceutical companies to avoid any disruptions in the medicine supply chain.

The NHIA is committed to further reducing any outstanding claims to ensure that the Scheme’s members continue to receive quality healthcare.

It said Service Providers are critical partners in the NHIA’s drive to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and must guarantee quality of healthcare to NHIS members and their patients as a whole.

“As a major stakeholder in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, NHIS members are advised to renew their membership by dialing *929# from any mobile network with a mobile wallet to enjoy uninterrupted healthcare services,” it added.