Mrs Yaa Pokuaa Baiden, Deputy Chief Executive, Administration and HR at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has disclosed that the Authority has introduced a lot of new innovations to enhance the Scheme.

Currently, about 30 percent of claims submitted by healthcare providers are vetted electronically making the process more efficient.

A web based portal has also been introduced for applicants who wish to be credentialed to provide services to the NHIA or to renew their credentials.

This electronic process she noted has cut down on the voluminous paperwork that was hitherto handled by NHIA staff.

Applicants are also able to send their applications online thereby cutting travel time and other inconveniences in submitting forms to the head office to be processed.

She added that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions of NHIS members which formed part of the NHIA's revenue streams has now been re-structured to be paid on time through the NHIA Fund thereby enhancing the financial sustainability of the Scheme.

Mrs Baiden made the disclosure in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the sidelines of a Thanksgiving Service by the Regional Directorate of NHIA at the Bethel Methodist Church in Takoradi to climax the NHIS Week Celebration.

She explained that the NHIS was a pivotal instrument in making sure that universal health coverage was achieved.

"To achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) we need to make sure that we increase access and coverage under the Scheme, this will ensure that the financial burden and out of pocket payment for healthcare services is significantly reduced".

She therefore encouraged Ghanaians who were not members of the Scheme to get registered and implored all non-active members to do well to renew their membership to enjoy the benefits the Scheme offered.

"If your card has expired then it means you are not an active member so you need to renew your membership which you can do by dialing *929# on any phone with mobile money without having to go to our offices", she divulged. "You can also link your Ghana card with the NHIS card through the same short code".

Mrs Baiden noted that the NHIS has nearly 23 million members on its database, however only 12 million were active, for this reason the Authority was embarking on a membership drive targeting inactive members and enticing them to return to the Scheme.

The waiting period for defaulters was temporarily waived, he hinted.