The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has paid more than GH¢784 million in claims and withholding taxes to service providers.

The payments were effected between January 01 and July 01, 2020, with National Health Insurance Scheme (|NHIS) service providers in the public sector receiving GH¢422, 809,355.80 million, representing 53.9 per cent.

Those in the private sector got GH¢217,984,168.59 million, representing 27.8 per cent, while service providers in mission health facilities have also been paid GH¢128,239,257.08 million, representing 16.4 per cent.

Additionally, quasi-government hospitals service providers also received GH¢14,947,222.81 million, representing 1.9 per cent of the total payment of 784, 809,164.70.

These were contained in a release issued by the Corporate Affairs Directorate of the Authority and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

It said, “The constant claims payment schedule and updates reaffirms the Authority’s Chief Executive, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby’s firm pledge to deepen accountability, transparency and social auditing.”

The statement said the Government’s timely release of funds to the Authority had made it possible for the “punctual payments of service providers Claims”.

It said recently the Medical Superintendents Group of Ghana (MSG), an umbrella body of all heads of government hospitals at the regional and district levels as well as Christian Health Association of Ghana and Quasi- Government facilities in a statement confirmed that the Government had settled a substantial amount of its indebtedness, one that had been described as, “unprecedented” since 2009.

The statement said, “The MSG President, Dr. Joseph Tambil at a media briefing in Takoradi after a Council Meeting, emphatically said outstanding debt owed by government currently is for just about six months. This is the best that any government has done since 2009 and we want to urge the NHIA and MOF to keep this up, and also ensure that it is also improved.”

It said the MSG President commended the Government for being proactive with the payment, adding that it had eased the burden of health facilities and administrators across the country.

The statement said as Ghana’s lead vehicle to attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, the NHIA held in high regard service providers’ efforts to improve the health needs of the Scheme’s cherished members.

It, however, urged healthcare facilities to promptly settle their debts to the pharmaceutical companies to avoid disruptions in the medicine supply chain.

The statement advised NHIS members to renew their membership by dialling *929# using any mobile network with a mobile wallet to enjoy uninterrupted healthcare services for convenience and strict adherence to practicing of social distancing protocols.