NHIA Detects Massive Fraud In Two Regions

A clinical Audit conducted by the National Health Authority (NHIA) has identified two regions where massive fraud is perpetrated with the siphoning of claims from the insurance scheme. These are the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions. But the worse affected is said to be concentrated in the Ashanti Region where 19 percent of its total membership accounted for the payment of 30% of fictitious claims whilst that of the Greater Accra Region with a total Membership of 12.5-13% of fictitious claims made. Mr. Sylvester A. Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority made the disclosure at a first Stakeholders� meeting on �Capitation Payment Method� in Accra yesterday. He said that these negative acts or practices where hindering the equity and efficiency which the National Health Insurance Scheme sought guarantee subscribers. Objectives of the meeting were to examine the Technical Sub-Committee monitoring and evaluation reports on the implementation of capitation pilot in Ashanti, discuss and address concerns of all stakeholders as well as agree on a road map for the scaling up of the capitation payment method, nationwide. Participants were drawn from the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ghana Health Service (GHS), NHIA (Board and Management), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Community Practice Pharmacist Association, Ghana Registered Nurses Association, Ghana Medical Association, Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, National Development Planning Commission and Schools of Public Health, University of Ghana. The rest are Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Allied Health Professions Board, Physicians Assistants Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists, Tertiary hospitals, Quasi Government Hospitals, Central Medical Stores, Coalition of NGOs in Health, Media, Technical Sub Committee on Capitation, Ashanti Regional Implementation, Committee on Capitation, Ashanti Regional NHIS Office, Selected Schemes in Ashanti Region and Ashanti Region Branch of the Association of Health Insurance Providers. Mr. Mensah said that some schemes had access to the NHIA database to know members in good standing and gave the date to providers to prepare fictitious claims and submit them for payment. He said further investigations had revealed that some subscribers moved to about 10 health providers to �harvest� medicines to either sell or give to their relatives who have not registered wit the scheme. �It is clear that we have a monster to deal with,� he lamented, and said that the scheme which was awash with moral hazards both in demand and supply, would have to be addressed by putting in place the right mechanism to ensure its sustenance. He emphasized that plans were far advanced in piloting another capitation payment method in three regions yet to be named and said that the system would gradually be replicated across the country. The Minister of Health, Mrs. Hanny Sherry Ayittey, said that 1,600Community �based Health Planning and Services (CHIPS) compounds would be constructed, in addition to the existing ones, adding that the government was poised in ensuring that by 2020, every Ghanaians would have been covered by the NHIS. She said that the participants especially Dr. Obeng Apari, Medical Director at the Ridge Hospital and Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, Medical Supt Of the Suntreso Government Hospital and the President of the Ghana Medical Association, suggested to the Ministry of Health to put the implementation of the capitation payment method on hold until proper measures were put in place to ensure its nationwide implementation rather than the pilot basis.