Private health providers threaten to start co-payment approach

Private health providers have served notice that they will soon implement a co-payment system for health care if government fails to reimburse claims under the National Health Insurance Scheme on time.

Under co-payment system, the cost of healthcare is shared between the patient and healthcare purchaser.

The group earlier threatened legal action against Government for failing to pay them 10 months accumulated arrears.

Public Relation Officer for Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana, Samuel Donkor, said they are likely to adopt the co-payment system if the government fails to settle outstanding monies.

“Within these two weeks if they don’t pay us then we go the co-payment, so that at least we could survive. We don’t close down like the way others are closing down. Some of us have really closed down due to this problem they have closed down and they don’t want to work again because they don’t want to go through this frustration. Those of us who are surviving too. If the government doesn’t pay us then we cannot do anything but go through this co-payment.”

NHIA CEO Warns about Accumulation of Debts

In May 2019, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Samuel Annor warned that the NHIS may suffer because of financing challenges.

Responding to concerns from Health Insurance Providers Association that the NHIS would be dead in a year’s time, he said:

“I wouldn’t say die but we would not be rendering the service we are supposed to render. Between 2009 and now, we have just been piling debts.”

The NHIA CEO has long held that the scheme had run out of funds to operate. As a result, the scheme may be dysfunctional in 2019.

“Unauthorised payments will continue, people being turned away or being asked to go and buy drugs or some health things that they will need for care would also continue… all these things will continue unless we solve the financing situation.”

As it stands now, the NHIS has GHc1.2 billion to look after 11 million Ghanaians. This works up to about GHc 110 per person.