The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched the ‘NHIS Multiyear Renewal’ system to allow members the option to renew their cards after 2, 3 or 4 years, depending on their choice and eligibility.

The Chief Executive Officer, NHIA, Mr. Nathaniel Otoo, speaking at a press conference in Accra to outdoor the product said the idea of a multiyear renewal was conceived after taking note of the number of people who visit the NHIA district offices all over the country to register or renew their NHIS membership.

“With this, NHIS card holders may not have to visit the NHIS office every year to renew their cards. This will reduce the huge number of members who flood the district offices just to renew their cards”.

He added that all categories of NHIS members are eligible and can benefit from the new product, except pregnant women and SSNIT contributors adding that pregnancy do not last beyond nine months hence multi year renewal will not apply.

“We took note of the long queues, time spent in these queues and the productive work hours these people might have been sacrificing to get an NHIS card. Our quest to make the process convenient and bring relief to our members got us to fashion out this product. At the NHIA, we believe we must innovate to solve our everyday problems, hence the ‘NHIS Multiyear Renewal.’ He said.

Mr. Otoo reiterated that members, who opt for the multi year renewal, will also enjoy some discounts on the processing fee they pay and for a normal one year registration the member pays the full processing fee of ?5 together with the premium rate for the district.

“If the member opts for 2 or 3 years ‘multiyear renewal’, discounts of 25% and 50%respectively apply on the ?5 processing fee. People in the informal sector of the NHIS are those who will mainly benefit from the new system and persons under 18 years and the aged, LEAP beneficiary and persons in other vulnerable groups are also eligible”.

Mr. Otoo assured health service providers of prompt payment of their claims adding that the authority was working around the clock to ensure all paper works concerning claims are handled with stipulated time and disbursement of funds made promptly.

He was hopeful that the challenge of delays in payment of claims will not be repeated the previous year and that the authority would continue to maintain and improve upon the relationships with service providers and ensure the timely payment of claims