29th August 2023 9:34:02 AM
3 mins readThe World Bank Group has pledged $27.7 million to support Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in increasing its annual active membership and streamlining claims processing and payments for primary healthcare providers.
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These primary healthcare providers include community-based health planning and services (CHPS), health centers, and maternity homes operating under the Primary Health Care Improvement Programme for Results.
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The program is set to run for four years, spanning from 2022 to 2025. Funding will be provided through a World Bank facility with co-financing grants from the Global Financing Facility, Canada, the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Operation, and the Gavi Alliance.
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Funding allocations will be based on the achievement of Disbursement Linked Results, as per the program's Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs). These DLIs encompass objectives such as increasing NHIS membership, boosting the enrollment of vulnerable populations in the Scheme, and enhancing claims processing and payments for primary healthcare facilities.
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According to a statement from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Technical Working Group, led by Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the Chief Executive, and shared with the Ghana News Agency following their meeting with the World Bank Group, the facility aims to enhance several aspects of healthcare provider accreditation, monitoring, and financing of primary healthcare services through collaboration between NHIA, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and the Health Facility Regulatory Authority.
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Furthermore, the NHIA will work closely with the Social Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection to increase the enrollment of indigent populations, including the disabled, orphans, widows, women, and children, in the NHIS.
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“This will be done through linkage with the National Household Registry which is also supported by the World Bank,” it stated.
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“The ‘New NHIS’ leadership’s ultimate goal is building a more resilient Health Insurance Scheme that responds to the needs of all by providing access to quality and affordable healthcare services on a sustainable basis,” it said.
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The statement outlined that the Executive Management's approach to realizing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) involves the implementation of 'pro-poor pathway' initiatives, firmly rooted within the legal framework mandating every Ghanaian to enroll in the NHIS.
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Additionally, it noted that the NHIA Chief Executive, along with his deputies and select directors, had conducted a nationwide tour of all 16 regions. This initiative aimed to foster closer ties with both staff and the general public and engage in discussions on ways to fortify the NHIS, emphasizing its pivotal role as a vehicle for Ghana's journey towards achieving UHC.
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“Leadership is determined to open more offices in strategic locations to make the NHIS accessible to all. Some additional offices recently commissioned are the Western North Regional Office, Bono East Regional Office, Ahafo Regional Office, Dormaa East, Jamaan North, Asunafo North, Asutifi North, Obuasi, Asawase, Atwima Kwanwoma, Ejisu, Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) Mion, Kumbungu, and Nanton,” it said.
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The statement also reported that newly branded operational vehicles had been provided to Bono East, Sunyani Municipal, Jaman South, Kintampo Municipal, and Techiman Municipal.
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It further highlighted that the NHIS had evolved into a crucial instrument for financing healthcare delivery in Ghana. Notably, it served as the financial backbone for over 4,600 accredited healthcare service providers, with more than 80 percent of internally generated funds for many healthcare facilities coming from the Scheme.
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The statement acknowledged the valuable support received from development partners, including the World Bank Group, World Health Organization (WHO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the Korea Foundation for International HealthCare (KOFIH), among others. This support had positioned Ghana's NHIS as an exemplary social protection model in Africa, evidenced by the numerous foreign delegations that have visited the NHIA to study its operations.
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Furthermore, the statement emphasized the significance of the recent financial support from the World Bank Group, considering it essential and well-timed in the NHIA's pursuit of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030.
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