Mr. Alhassan Abdulai, the Acting Northern Regional Director, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA,) has dismissed claims that the country is returning to the Cash and Carry system of healthcare delivery.
He said challenges faced recently by some National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) subscribers were not due to a breakdown of the scheme but rather a temporary systemic failure from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) side.
Mr. Abdulai explained that, “When the systems are down at the GHS side, most of the health facilities do not explore other available options thereby billing our subscribers. This has led to the wrong impression that the NHIS is collapsing. We strongly condemn this practice and consider it as illegal charging of bills.”
He made this clarification when he interacted with the media during a public sensitisation campaign organised by the NHIA in Tamale.
The campaign, which targeted market centres and other street vendors, was to deepen public understanding of NHIS and its digital innovations designed to make access to healthcare easier.
Mr. Abdulai said one of the key innovations being promoted was the Auto Renewal App, which allowed subscribers to renew their NHIS membership from the comfort of their homes by dialing *929# and following simple instructions.
He said: “With this app, you don’t need to join long queues at our offices. It is simple, convenient, and ensures effective time management for our clients.”
He added that the NHIA was also educating members of the public on the integration of the Ghana Card with the NHIS database, which allowed subscribers to access healthcare services using their national identification card.
He said: “Through this campaign, we are also informing the public that with their Ghana Card, they can now link their NHIS details. Even those without NHIS cards but, who possess Ghana Cards, can visit our offices for their information to be linked.”
He said this saved the NHIS from spending taxpayers’ money on printing physical NHIS cards, ensuring service access faster and more efficiently.
Mr. Abdulai called on the media to support the NHIA’s efforts by amplifying its public education messages and helping to correct misinformation about the scheme.
He reiterated that the NHIA remained committed to ensuring a robust and transparent health insurance system that guaranteed equitable access to quality healthcare for all citizens.
GNA
