Effective next year, the tariff for service providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will be increased, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has said.
The service providers, Mr Akandoh said, have constantly complained that tariffs being offered under the current arrangement were unrealistic.
“Government has taken the decision to increase the tariff by about 120 per on the average,” Mr Akandoh, MP, Juaboso, stated.
He made this known in Accra yesterday when he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series to give an update on some developments in the health sector.
According to him, since the turn of the year, over two million persons have subscribed to the Scheme bringing its coverage to over 20 million.
The government, he said had been prompt and is current on its obligation to service providers.
The Free Primary Health Care policy, he said, would also be rolled out next year with an allocation of GH¢1.5 billion earmarked for same.
On the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), designed to support specialist-level treatment for a wide range of chronic illnesses, which are not catered for by the NHIS, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney failure, stroke, among others, the minister said all is set and disbursement underway.
“The Bill has been passed, the board has been inaugurated and secretariat in operation. Disbursements have begun to persons who have applied for it,” he stated.
He explained that to qualify to benefit from the Mahama Cares, a patient would have to apply through his personal physician and within 14 days, approval would be given.
Giving an update on government’s contract with Zipline for the provision of medicine to hard-to-reach areas, Mintah Akandoh said engagement was ongoing for the way forward.
He revealed that under the current arrangement, government pays Zipline US$88,000 monthly per each of the six centres, contrary to assurance by the then health minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, that government would have no obligation.
The minister said upon a review of Zipline’s operations, it came to light that delivery to hard-to-reach areas constituted only 12 per cent.
He said the review also uncovered that Zipline was flying condoms, mosquito nets, syringes, education materials and other non-essential items.
“So we thought that there’s the need for value for money so we are engaging Zipline and I can say that we have met more than three times on this matter. We have not cancelled their contract,” he said.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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