The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has released GH¢400 million to settle debt owed healthcare providers nationwide.
The Authority in a press statement issued on September 3 and signed by its Chief Executive, Dr Da-Costa Aboagye said the disbursement covers claims for April and May of this year.
“This underscores the NHIA’s steadfast commitment to improving the sustainability and efficiency of healthcare delivery under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” the Authority noted.
The statement added that the “timely” release of monies is “intended to ensure that outstanding payments are within the agreed three-month reimbursement period.”
The NHIA said the payment is crucial for enhancing the quality of care provided to NHIS members and supporting the operational needs of healthcare facilities.
Timeline of disbursements made so far in 2024
According to the NHIA, this new payment follows a series of previous disbursements to healthcare facilities aimed at settling outstanding claims. The NHIA said it has made the following disbursements so far this year.
Earlier in the year, GH¢300 million was released to cover claims up to January 2024 for various health facilities.
On August 17, 2024, the NHIA released GH¢151 million to cover claims from March 2024 for higher-tier healthcare providers and from April 2024 for lower-tier facilities.
This was preceded by a GH¢135.6 million payment in July, which settled claims up to February 2024 for higher-tier providers and up to March 2024 for lower-tier facilities.
On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, the NHIA released GHS170,775,035.07 to cover predominantly claims of January and February 2024 for lower-tier facilities, who form the majority of healthcare providers, and up to November 2023 for upper-tier facilities and healthcare providers.
On Friday, March 22, 2024, the NHIA paid GH¢180 million to various categories of healthcare providers across the country for claims submitted and vetted up to December 2023.
On February 13, 2024, the NHIA paid GHS130,244,000.00 to 4,850 Mission, Public, Private, and Quasi-Public healthcare providers nationwide largely for claims submitted for the month of October 2023.
“We are grateful to healthcare providers for their dedication and crucial role in the success of the NHIS. The NHIA assures stakeholders that it remains committed to engaging with them to address any concerns and improve the efficiency of service delivery, claims processing, and payments,” the statement stated.
