National Health Insurance Authority flouts review of drug tariffs

Cape Coast, June 24, GNA – The acting Central Regional Deputy Director of

Clinical Care, Alhaji Alanga Yamyolia has urged the National Health Insurance

Authority (NHIA) to urgently review the tariffs on the drugs list to conform with

current prices on the market.
He said even though the law establishing the NHIA required quarterly review

of tariffs, this had not being done, leaving the various schemes to pay old prices

for pharmaceutical products.
Alhaji Alanga made the call at a meeting in Cape Coast to review the first

phase of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and to chart a new

course for the take off of the second phase.
He explained that review of the tariffs does not necessarily mean automatic

increases in prices since some drugs could be reviewed upwards or downwards

in line with the current prices.
He asked the Authority to adhere to its own laws and ensure that the proper

thing was done to ensure fairness among the various schemes and service

providers.
Alhaji Alanga enumerated a number of challenges facing the scheme, such as

inadequate information on the new billing system, lack of training for staff and

collaboration between trainers and trainees on the Information, Communication

and Technology (ICT) systems of the various schemes.

Mr. Emmanuel Badu, Regional Manager of the NHIA, said the first phase of

the NHIS dealt mainly with the various schemes and service providers and that

the second phase would focus on using ICT components to enable all

Ghanaians, irrespective of their location to access health care.

He said the workshop was therefore intended to enable all stakeholders to

collectively discuss their individual challenges and together come out with

concrete solutions to improve upon health care delivery.

Madam Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Regional Minister noted that government

appreciates the work of the NHIA and expressed optimism that with consensus

building, it could address challenges facing the scheme.

GNA