Ashanti Region Proves Akufo-Addo, NPP Wrong…


Pronouncements by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its 2012 flagbearer, Mr. Williams Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is dying, has been proven wrong by honest and God-fearing residents of the Ashanti Region.
Thus, contrary to vile assertions by the NPP and its leader that the scheme is virtually in state of comatose which can only be revived under an Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration, available statistics had revealed that the scheme has seen a remarkable improvement, with the Ashanti Region being the highest beneficiary of the policy under the Better Ghana Agenda of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
According to hard-core facts and credible statistics, over 20% of residents in the Ashanti Region is benefiting from the scheme, a situation on the word of authorities, is an increment in membership and how the scheme is effectively being patronized, unlike what the NPP and its flagbearer want Ghanaians to believe.
The revelation above came to fore, when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Hon. Sylvester Mensah and his team met with the media in Accra on Monday 15th October, 2012, to throw light on the significance of the scheme, reforms, progress, as well as challenges; and most importantly, to correct the falsehood being paddled all over, about the scheme.
Briefing the media as regards the relevance of the scheme, Hon. Sylvester Mensah hinted that, the NHIS is the financial backbone of numerous accredited healthcare service facilities in the country; and accounts for more than 80% of internally generated funds in public health facilities.
“As a Pro-Poor Scheme, it provides free healthcare coverage of 70% of the total registered membership of the scheme, including children under the age of 18, the elderly, aged 70 and over, pensioners of the Social Security Scheme, pregnant women, the extremely poor and beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme”, the Chief Executive Officer of the Scheme has pointed out.
With reforms, NHIA has successfully established Claims Processing Centre (CPC), to improve claims management and also reduce claims processing turn-around time that, hitherto, was an albatross and a nightmare to management.
Still on reforms, Hon. Sylvester Mensah pointed out that, the on-going pilot project in the Ashanti Region as regards claims, with the introduction of capitation, has helped in determining the leakages in premium collection.
Even though, NHIA can boast of reviving the scheme currently as against the situation in 2008, the CEO was honest to bring to the attention of the media, challenges that seem to be hampering the effectiveness of the scheme.
Notably, as he mentioned, were, unauthorized co-payments, inflation of the quantities of medicines dispensed, political bad-mouthing of the scheme, membership renewal, and last but not the least, overbilling for medicines by some providers. But above all (challenges listed), he said the scheme has made a huge success.
We also furnish you with a graphical representation of how NHIS has become very attractive following its efficient management which has culminated in more people signing to the policy, particularly, residents of Ashanti Region against the scenery of pronouncements by the NPP and its flagbearer.