NHIA moves to restore trust in NHIS card, urges media to expose illegal charges

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it is taking steps to restore public confidence in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card by tackling illegal charges in health facilities and directing more funds towards claims payment.

Acting Chief Executive of the Authority, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, made the announcement at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, April 14 2025.

He said the NHIA had paid GH₵834 million to healthcare providers nationwide, covering both arrears and newly vetted claims.

“Over the past week alone, we cleared GH₵555 million worth of vetted claims,” Dr Bampoe said. “There are still some pending payments of about GH₵30 to GH₵40 million, which are currently being processed.”

He noted that earlier concerns raised by private providers were due to delays in processing and not a lack of funds. Dr Bampoe assured that all approved claims were being settled within the 90-day payment window.

He stated that the Authority intends to increase the share of its budget spent on claims. While only 40 to 41 percent of NHIA’s funding went into claims last year, the target for 2025 is 65 percent, with a further increase to 70 percent expected next year.

Dr Bampoe said restoring trust in the Scheme also means addressing the persistent issue of illegal charges. To that end, he announced the formation of a committee made up of senior NHIA directors to investigate and address unauthorised co-payments at health facilities.

“We’ll build on what has already been done and take action to reduce, and eventually remove, this problem,” he said, adding that NHIS cardholders should not face unexpected costs when seeking care at accredited facilities.

He also mentioned that the Authority is preparing to roll out aspects of the Mahama Cares initiative, including a funding mechanism for the treatment of renal conditions and the introduction of free primary healthcare services.

Meanwhile, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs at the NHIA, Mr Oswald Essuah-Mensah, called on the media to help expose illegal charges being demanded from NHIS cardholders. He said media involvement was necessary to hold service providers to account and protect the interests of the public.

“We will do our best, working with healthcare providers and the media,” Mr Essuah-Mensah said. “Let us use our combined efforts to support a more open and accountable healthcare system that serves the needs of Ghanaians.”

Dr Bampoe also revealed that two internal audits are ongoing—a human resource audit and a management information systems audit. These are aimed at improving staffing and upgrading the Authority’s technology systems.

The NHIA says the reforms are intended to improve efficiency and direct more of its resources to actual healthcare delivery.