Health Insurance Service Providers Association of Ghana (HISPAG) in the Upper East Region have resolved to revert to cash and carry system of health care delivery by Monday 15th February, 2016 if the National Health Insurance Authority does not come clear on when monies owed them would be paid.
Hospitals and other health facilities across the country say they are struggling to provide basic care for patients due to unpaid claims by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) with some facilities not receiving claims for over eight months.
The Authority owes about 400 members of the Health Insurance Service Providers Association (HISPAG) more than 36 million cedis in unpaid claims.
The Upper East regional chapter of HISPAG says it has served notice to the Authority to with immediate effect agree on a roadmap that would entail a timeline within which part of the unpaid claims would be paid.
The regional president of HISPAG in the upper east region Dr. Francis Asaana in an interview on Day Break Upper East Thursday said some facilities in the region are owed huge claims and the situation has made it extremely difficult for them to continue providing health services on the wings of the National Health Insurance.
According to him, the Association met and decided on taking an action which would be preceded by a notice to the authority. He disclosed that a letter has been presented to the NHIA at all levels to bring to its attention the decision to revert to cash and carry if no positive responds is received by Monday February 15.
“Most facilities in the upper east region have been paid claims for the month of April and May but there are many others who have not been paid. Whatever it is, most of us have not been paid for over 8 months and this delay is too much. In fact, almost all the private health facilities have collapsed and what we are doing now is no more health delivery,” he lamented.
Dr. Asaana added that the facilities only provide consultancy services and no longer provide laboratory services and drugs because pharmaceutical company’s no more supply drugs as a result of accumulated debts.
“You owe a company over eighty thousand cedis and so you can’t go back to them for drugs. So what we have decided to do is to provide consultancy services and then prescribe the drugs for the patient to go and buy,” he disclosed.
By: Azongo Albert | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
