Damongo, Ghana – The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the Savannah Region recently convened its 2023 End-of-Year performance review meeting in Damongo on Friday, April 26, 2024. The gathering brought together dedicated staff from all five district offices, along with key representatives and stakeholders, to critically assess the region’s progress, confront existing challenges, and outline a strategic roadmap for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2024.
Chief Dauda Mahama, the Acting Regional Director of the NHIA, opened the event by underscoring the NHIS’s vital role as a cornerstone social intervention program in Ghana. He emphasized the significant responsibilities entrusted to the attendees, stressing the importance of a collective review to understand performance, address hurdles, and collaboratively forge a path forward.
Chief Mahama highlighted a significant milestone: the commissioning of the state-of-the-art Savannah Regional NHIA Office and the provision of a new Toyota Hilux Pick-up vehicle to the Central Gonja District Office on February 15, 2024. These initiatives, he noted, significantly enhance the NHIA’s visibility and reliability as a public service organization. He also urged all regional staff to extend their full support to the newly appointed Chief Executive of the NHIA, Dr. DaCosta Aboagye, a seasoned health insurance expert, to help realize his vision for the NHIS.
Strong Performance and Key Initiatives
The Acting Regional Director then presented an overview of the region’s commendable 2023 performance. The Savannah Region successfully registered 48.8% of its projected population into the NHIS and achieved 89.1% of its active membership target, ranking sixth nationally. Notably, the region excelled in its commitment to the vulnerable, exceeding its annual indigents target by registering 134% of poor and vulnerable individuals, securing the third-highest national ranking in indigent performance.
Addressing persistent challenges, Chief Mahama expressed concern over the prevalence of illegal co-payments or top-ups at credentialed health facilities. He emphasized that these unauthorized charges threaten Ghana’s aspiration for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In a significant announcement, Chief Dauda Mahama revealed a collaborative initiative between the NHIA and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to issue Ghanacards to children aged six to fourteen years nationwide, commencing June 3, 2024. This ambitious project aims to register, print, and issue three million Ghanacards to this age group, thereby boosting NHIS membership and accelerating the nation’s journey towards UHC.
Upholding Integrity and Efficiency
Mr. Titus Sorey, the Director of the NHIA for the Northern Belt, delivered the keynote address, highlighting critical operational issues. He emphasized the crucial role of community involvement in validating healthcare facilities’ legitimacy and stressed the necessity for businesses to possess valid certificates and undergo proper assessment before engaging with the NHIA. Mr. Sorey clarified that the NHIA individually credentials facilities, granting them autonomy in financial management, independent of district health management teams.
He urged NHIA staff to ensure thorough preparation before conducting facility monitoring visits, warning that unpreparedness could lead to manipulation by facilities and undermine the Authority’s credibility. Mr. Sorey recounted an instance in the Savannah Region where discrepancies were uncovered during facility visits, leading to admissions of charges and discussions about potential consequences. He reiterated the paramount importance of verifying healthcare facility credentials during monitoring visits to safeguard the integrity of NHIA operations.
Significant Operational Savings and Engagements
The NHIA also reported a significant operational achievement: 100% electronic submission of claims from all credentialed health providers, leading to the full implementation of “Claim-It.” This initiative resulted in a remarkable GHC21,293,016.59 in savings by the end of 2023 through fulfillment and vetting adjustments for both manual and electronic processes.
Furthermore, the Authority successfully conducted five stakeholder engagements and capacity-building sessions for 1,413 participants from Tier 3 health providers across five regions, with support from the World Bank. Additionally, 414 stakeholders were engaged for upper-tier facilities across the five northern regions. The NHIA also surpassed its target by carrying out 32 claims verification exercises at provider sites. Collaborative monitoring and engagement with service providers on unauthorized payments and other moral hazards affecting healthcare access were also successfully conducted.
Chief Mahama concluded the meeting by expressing optimism for fruitful deliberations and a successful review, urging all participants to work collectively towards providing a better life for all citizens, especially the most vulnerable.
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