Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has revealed that mental health treatment will be catered for by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) before the end of 2023.The NHIA CEO made this information known last Friday during a news conference.

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"Before the end of this year, the National Health Insurance Authority is for the first time going to pay for mental health conditions, at least the top-most conditions that are seen daily in our hospitals. It will be covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme," he said.Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye however added that the NHIA is still working on some nitty-gritties before it implements this initiative.

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"We are working on the details as to the cost and how to go about it, the coding and all that. These are things that we will go through. So that when people take care of our brothers and sisters with depression, schizophrenia, suicidal tendencies, all those mental conditions, they will not have to go through the burden of finding money for themselves.

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"He further noted that the Mental Health Authority will now be covering the cost of drugs that "are not available from the Authority."For over a year, the National Health Insurance Authority has been working on covering the cost of mental health treatment via the National Health Insurance Scheme.According to the NHIA, it has requested data from the Mental Health Authority to conduct its analysis.

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Although the coverage of mental health treatment comes as good news, it comes at a time when the NHIS has not been able to operate effectively.Some health facilities have refused to accept the use of the NHIS card due to lack of funds, thereby compelling patients to pay more for healthcare.The Ministry of Health has announced its decision to sanction health facilities found complicit of refusing NHIS cards from

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patients.

The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey

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