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Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, says the National Health
Insurance Authority (NHIA) is facing a funding gap of almost 300
million Ghana cedis.
Dr Agyemang-Mensah said the NHIA urgently needs that money to be able
to meet its obligations.
According to him, funds allocated to the Authority by the 2014 Budget
is inadequate to enable it meet its operations, although funds for
disbursement of claims to service providers has seen some
improvements.
"The NHIA has on a cash-basis received an amount of 882 million [Ghana
cedis] including claims arrears for 2013. Out of this amount a total
of 746 million [Ghana cedis], representing 84.55% of the total receipt
was assigned to claims payment", he revealed.
Aside the lack of funds, he revealed that delays by the Authority to
pay claims to service providers to ensure quality healthcare delivery
in the country has been one of the major setbacks of the health
insurance scheme.
He said there are talks with the Finance Ministry to prevent late
release of funds to the NHIA, another impediment in the Authority's
quest to ensure smooth operation.
Service providers say the situation is not creating an effective room
for dispensing quality healthcare to subscribers.
A member of the Health Committee of Parliament Dr. Kwabena Twum
Nuamah, however, believes the Finance Ministry is violating the NHIA
Act by delaying disbursement of funds to the Authority.
According to him if this continues, it could have serious impact on
healthcare delivery in the country.
NHIA has the mandated to secure the implementation of a national
health insurance policy that ensures access to basic healthcare
services to all Ghanaians.
Credit: Myjoyonline
