The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. DaCosta Aboagye, has announced that the government has fully cleared the GHC 1.2 billion arrears inherited in 2016.
The debt, he stated, was accrued under the previous Mahama administration, which failed to settle 2016 claims owed to health institutions.
Dr. Aboagye revealed that upon assuming office, the NHIA faced significant financial challenges, describing the authority as having been “bankrupt to a tune of GHC 1.2 billion” due to unpaid claims by the erstwhile administration.
He added that the current government has not only cleared the inherited debt but has also paid an additional GHC 200 million owed to healthcare facilities and providers.
“We have even reached the point where we are chasing health providers to pay them off their claims, should any be owed,” Dr. Aboagye stated during a ceremony held to commission 44 pickups and a bus donated by the government to support the authority’s operations at the authority’s headquarters in Accra on Monday.
Dr. Aboagye further encouraged health providers to promptly submit any outstanding claims for onwards payment, stressing the government’s commitment to ensuring smooth operations within the health insurance scheme.
He also highlighted the enhanced reputation of the NHIS, noting that people from various regions now commend the institution for its improved services. “The NHIS has become so attractive that people far away from home are praising the authority for the good work being done,” he remarked.
Further, Dr. Aboagye emphasised the NHIA’s dedication to the welfare of its staff, ensuring they are well supported to deliver on their mandate.
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