The Association of Private HealthCare Providers (APHCP) in the Upper East Region has appealed to the Minister of Health Alex Segbefia to intervene to get their delayed National Health Insurance Scheme claims released or risk reversing to the cash and carry system on November 1.
In an appeal letter to the minister seen by a1radioonline.com, the group mentioned that the delayed claims have brought about unbearable conditions to their members some of whom have not been able to pay salaries for the past three months whiles some are on the verge of collapsing.
Although service providers have submitted their claims up to between June 2016 and August 2016, the NHIA has reimbursed only up to October, 2015 and November 2015 for a few others hence rendering the service providers handicapped in paying statutory obligations of their workers like SSNIT and the day – to – day running of their facilities.
“Non – payment of our claims leaves us in a situation that makes us unable to meet our statutory obligations of paying our workers’ Social Security contributions to SSNIT and income tax to the IRS in a timely manner.
The letter further mentioned that the delay in paying their claims has led to them facing various legal actions from their suppliers who want to retrieve their monies at all cost.
“This failure results in legal action being taken incessantly against the owners and managers of private facilities. Our suppliers have also resorted to taking legal actions against us to retrieve their indebtedness which have been overdue as a result of the nonpayment of our claims.”
The letter indicated that there have been several measures in the past to get their claims paid but that has not yielded the needed answers and that they (Association of Private HealthCare Providers) will reverse to the cash and carry system from November 1.
“We have in the past written letters, held press conferences and stakeholder meetings to register our concerns and get the problem addressed and resolved, but all these efforts failed to receive favorable responses from the NHIA. We therefore hope that a special intervention by you will give us the needed response. Meanwhile, as a genuine contingent arrangement, Private HealthCare Providers will not be able to provide services to NHIS card bearers by the 1st of November, 2016, should the situation remain unchanged.”
By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIONLINE.COM/GHANA
