NHIS PAYS CLAIMS
NHIS PAYS CLAIMS June 23, 2009
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM, ISD GAMBAGA
Gambaga[N/R], June 23, GNA - The East Mamprusi District Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme has paid all outstanding claims submitted by its service providers for the first quarter of 2009.
The Manager of the scheme Mr. Sulemana Elijah Abdulai who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Gambaga said 293,454.81 Ghanaian Cedis was disbursed to all eight service providers covering January to April 2009.
He said as at the close of last year, the scheme had registered 75,843 members representing 53.2 per cent of the district’s population of 142,455. During the same period, 16,351 members renewed their membership and this reflects 33.9 per cent of the population.
Mr. Sulemana noted that from January to May 2009, 7,013 new clients have been added to the scheme’s membership indicating 58.1 per cent of residents in the East Mamprusi District.
According to Mr. Elijah, some service providers submit their claims late often at a time that available money had been disbursed to other providers with huge claims.
He said recently, the acting chief executive of the NHIA, Mr. Sylvester Mensah met with managers of the NHIS and others stakeholders at Tamale in the Northern Region and pledged that there will be prompt disbursement of subsidy and reinsurance to schemes at the end of each quarter. Mr. Elijah thus urged service providers to file their claims promptly for quick payments.
The manager said government is committed to introducing the payment of a one-time premium and also echoed the call for pregnant women to register with the HHIS since the free registration of pregnant women is still an effective policy in the operation of the NHIS.
The Claims Manager of the scheme, Mr. Issahaku Abdul- Majeed, revealed that the National Health Insurance authority gave GH ¢635,343.57 to the scheme as its first and second quarter subsidy and reinsurance for 2009 but explained that, a chunk of the amount was used to pay for claims covering the last quarter of 2008.
Mr. Abdul-Majeed noted that, many clients from other schemes in the three regions of the North and else where patronise services of the Baptist Medical Centre which is the largest service provider to the Gambaga Scheme thus widening its client base. Unfortunately, the mother schemes of such clients often default in reimbursing the Gambaga scheme in time throwing it into indebtedness.
The East Mamprusi NHIS has a coverage of 133 communities and 46 collectors who serve as foot soldiers of the scheme in its quest to register more clients.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM, ISD GAMBAGA
Gambaga[N/R], June 23, GNA - The East Mamprusi District Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme has paid all outstanding claims submitted by its service providers for the first quarter of 2009.
The Manager of the scheme Mr. Sulemana Elijah Abdulai who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Gambaga said 293,454.81 Ghanaian Cedis was disbursed to all eight service providers covering January to April 2009.
He said as at the close of last year, the scheme had registered 75,843 members representing 53.2 per cent of the district’s population of 142,455. During the same period, 16,351 members renewed their membership and this reflects 33.9 per cent of the population.
Mr. Sulemana noted that from January to May 2009, 7,013 new clients have been added to the scheme’s membership indicating 58.1 per cent of residents in the East Mamprusi District.
According to Mr. Elijah, some service providers submit their claims late often at a time that available money had been disbursed to other providers with huge claims.
He said recently, the acting chief executive of the NHIA, Mr. Sylvester Mensah met with managers of the NHIS and others stakeholders at Tamale in the Northern Region and pledged that there will be prompt disbursement of subsidy and reinsurance to schemes at the end of each quarter. Mr. Elijah thus urged service providers to file their claims promptly for quick payments.
The manager said government is committed to introducing the payment of a one-time premium and also echoed the call for pregnant women to register with the HHIS since the free registration of pregnant women is still an effective policy in the operation of the NHIS.
The Claims Manager of the scheme, Mr. Issahaku Abdul- Majeed, revealed that the National Health Insurance authority gave GH ¢635,343.57 to the scheme as its first and second quarter subsidy and reinsurance for 2009 but explained that, a chunk of the amount was used to pay for claims covering the last quarter of 2008.
Mr. Abdul-Majeed noted that, many clients from other schemes in the three regions of the North and else where patronise services of the Baptist Medical Centre which is the largest service provider to the Gambaga Scheme thus widening its client base. Unfortunately, the mother schemes of such clients often default in reimbursing the Gambaga scheme in time throwing it into indebtedness.
The East Mamprusi NHIS has a coverage of 133 communities and 46 collectors who serve as foot soldiers of the scheme in its quest to register more clients.
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