The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, has outlined a three-part plan to reform Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme.
The plan focuses on financial discipline, digital efficiency, and eliminating out-of-pocket charges.
Dr Bampoe discussed the vision with the Ghana Medical Association, led by Dr Frank Serebour, and highlighted key areas of focus, including strengthening internal processes, improving staff welfare, and eliminating illegal charges.
The GMA expressed support for the reforms and proposed deeper collaboration on public engagement initiatives.
The meeting also touched on government initiatives such as free primary healthcare and the Ghana Medical Health Fund, known as the “Mahama Cares” programme, which focuses on chronic disease management.
Concerns were raised about facilities credentialed as primary care providers but offering secondary and tertiary services, which could impact such facilities’ ability to recoup operational costs.
He outlined the three-pronged vision driving the Authority’s current agenda.
“The first part of the vision has to do with strengthening internal processes. We think that there are some financial leakages, and we want to see how we can use technology to do the strengthening. We’ll be doing some audits, among other actions, to make sure that all the funding we are going to the right places.
“The other part of the first part of the vision is about staff welfare and condition of service. We are addressing issues such as promotions, career developments, and others that have served as a demotivation for our people, making sure that a lot of challenges are resolved.
“The second part is ending illegal charges imposed on NHIS members at the point of use, often referred to as co-payment. We know that it has something to do with the tariffs and the duration for payment of claims.
“We are working hard to correct these issues just to make sure that we eliminate these out-of-pocket payments.
“Then the third is actually the manifesto promises of the government. We just came out of a meeting on the implementation of the government’s free primary health care and Mahama Cares policies. Mahama Cares is looking at chronic disease,” he said.
“We know the previous government was looking at dialysis. But we want to build upon that and make it a more sustainable and widespread system.
“All of these take money, so we just need to ensure that every cedi goes exactly where it’s meant to—towards improving the health and lives of Ghanaians.
“Government has confidence in us, and that’s why they continue to allocate more funds. If we cut down on frivolous expenditure and ensure every cedi goes where it’s needed, we’ll secure even more government support. We want a future where funding is consistent, health services are efficient, and Ghanaian lives are better for it,” he said.
On his part, Dr Serebour extended formal congratulations to Dr Victor Bampoe and his executive management team on their appointments.
He commended the NHIA for the recent payments made to healthcare facilities and acknowledged the positive impact this has had on operations.
He urged that this momentum be sustained to ensure timely reimbursements, which are vital for service delivery.
He reiterated the GMA’s long-standing advocacy for reforms such as the decapping of NHIL contributions and ring-fencing of funds meant for the NHIS.
The GMA also proposed deeper collaboration on public engagement initiatives.
He extended an invitation to the NHIA CEO to participate in key upcoming GMA events.
Responding to co-payment issues, Dr Serebour linked them to delayed reimbursements, emphasising that when facilities are not paid on time, they are forced to charge patients to survive.
He assured the NHIA that GMA is ready to support initiatives to eliminate co-payments, including timely claims payment and adequate tariffs.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
