De-Politicize NHIS For Effective Management – NMH

The General Manager of the Nationwide Mutual Healthcare (NMH), Mr. Antony Sowah, has bemoaned the excessive politicization of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which has derailed the effective management of the scheme to the advantage of the ordinary people.

According to him, politicization of the NHIS over the years by politicians is the mean cause of the nearcollapse of the scheme.

“Over the years the NHIS has become the biggest political weapon for politicians. If we de -politicize the NHIS it will run effectively to the purpose it was intended for. It is very unfortunate how health issues are politicized”.

Speaking to the modernghana.com at the launch of the 10th Anniversary celebration of Nationwide Mutual Healthcare, he suggested that government should involve the private sector in managing the scheme.

“Fundamentally and philosophically I don't think government has any business managing the NHIS without the involvement of the private sector. If the private sector is partnered and we resist the temptation of politicking it, it will go a long way to make the scheme effective and vibrant because the private sector will run the scheme based on sound principle of business rules”.

Touching on the 10 year existence of the NMH, the General Manager said “Nationwide Mutual Healthcare (NMH),was the first private Mutual Health Insurance provider, established as a dominant financier for healthcare services in the private sector to provide health care needs of the people”.

According to him, the NMH has been set out to provide the highest quality healthcare services to its members through a dependable network of motivated and committed healthcare service providers at the best possible value.

He also indicated that services provided under their scheme are tailor-made to meet the needs of members and prospective members, including corporate health insurance, Family Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, and individual health insurance.

Mr. Sowahaverred that Nationwide Mutual Health provides wide range of healthcare services including general and specialist medical consultation, maternity care, dental care, diagnostic investigations, emergency medical evacuation, surgery among others.

He said Nationwide offered ideal elective healthcare assistance to individuals who want to access healthcare services in South Africa or India by arranging for personal referral appointments and follow-ups to ensure a hassle-free referral for individuals.

He said Nationwide intended to expand its customer base in the future to become a credible alternative to the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Membership begun to grow at a speedy rate considering the effective services it offered the people of Ghana. Nationwide Mutual Health membership as at 2013, stood at 45,000, after having found grounds in over 480 accredited healthcare facilities in Ghana.

Its claims have also increased considerably in 2013, with over GH¢20million realized in claims payment as compared to previous years.

Its subscriber base also grew to 300 as in Corporate clients, 47,000 individual subscriber base, accruing an annual turnover of GH¢34 million by the close of 2013.

The ten year in operation comes without any challenges; the General Manager averred that the current depreciation of the cedi has affected the cost of health delivery.

He also said some health insurance operators were under-pricing in order to get a share of the market and as a result they were not able to meet their payment promptly and that was tarnishing the image of the private schemes.

He, therefore, urged government not to lose sight of the emerging private health insurance industry by providing regulations to streamline the industry.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nationwide Mutual Health, Mrs. Nancy Ampah pointed out that the establishment of the Scheme was a brainchild of members of the Society of Private Medical and Healthcare Practitioners, who developed the idea as far back as 1987, a dram which was realized in 2003.

Nationwide is a private mutual health insurance scheme promoted by the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) in 2003 to provide comprehensive health care, with a vision to be the dominant financier of healthcare services in the private medical sector.

It has a network of healthcare service providers in the 10 regions of the country, providing a range of healthcare services to its numerous clients.