NHIA Empowers Private Health Insurance Companies | Health

Owing to the global economic meltdown, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has stepped up efforts to sustain Ghana's Private Health Insurance industry.

Among other pragmatic steps initiated by the Authority, the Governing Board and Management on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, met with industry players at the NHIA Head Office in Accra.

Organized by the NHIA's Private Health Insurance Scheme's Directorate (PHISD), the objective was to discuss the global financial happenings, its effect, and the way forward for a sustainable private health insurance industry.

In his welcome address, the NHIA Chief Executive, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye reassured the stakeholders saying that, "We want to help make your work more profitable based on your efficiency. We are not in competition with you. We have to help you to succeed."

He advocated the need for consistency in the prices of medicines and services rendered by Private Health Insurer companies to promote quality patient care at cost-effective prices.

He thus advised the industry players in collaboration with the NHIA to submit a report on how to deal with the issues of standardization and capital ratio.

"We have to be committed to the course and be frank at our subsequent meetings," Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye stressed.

A member of the NHIA Governing Board, Dr. Nobel Isaac Morrison said a medicine tariff subcommittee was set up to ensure a well-structured tariffs regime for services and medicines covered by the NHIS to eliminate the identified anomalies.

The industry players raised legitimate concerns such as their sector's stagnation, lack of industry data, medicines pricing and credentialing.