Nkawie (Ash), Jan. 10, GNA - The Atwima District Insurance Scheme has paid about 13.8 million cedis as claims to contributors as at the end of November 2004.

Out of the amount, 7.109 million cedis were paid to contributors in the informal sector while 6.626 million cedis went into the payment of claims of teachers.

Mr James Agyarko-Poku, the Atwima District Manager of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), told the GNA that the Government in 2003 voted 400 million cedis for the District while the Atwima District Assembly also provided 70 million cedis towards the establishment of the district scheme.

Mr Agyarko-Poku explained that payment of claims was done through cheques to the hospitals or clinics the patients attended directly. He said bills amounting to less than 100,000 cedis are not paid by the scheme and that they are borne by patients but gave the assurance that this would be remedied as soon as the District received its share of the insurance levy from the Government.

Mr Agyarko-Poku said the scheme could suspend the payment of claims to a contributor, who failed to pay his contribution within the stipulated period in accordance with the rules of the scheme. Other grounds for non-payment of claims to a contributor include the submission of fraudulent claims or dishonesty and the non-disclosure of any material information required by the scheme.