NHIA starts exercise on capitation policy
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is to embark on a sensitisation exercise in the Northern Region to whip up public interest on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) capitation policy.
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That is to ensure a successful roll-out of the policy in the region.
The sensitisation exercise is expected to reach out to residents in remote communities, including communicators of political parties to avoid the politicisation of the policy.
This came to light when a team from the NHIA headquarters, led by its Director of Provider Payment, Mr Anthony Gingong, paid a curtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, at his office last Friday to brief him on the state of the capitation policy.
Capitation policy
The capitation policy is a provider’s payment mechanism whereby providers are paid in advance at pre-determined fixed rates to provide a defined set of services for the individual over a fixed period of time.
The aim of the capitation policy, according to Mr Gingong, is to improve cost containment and viability of the NHIS scheme, and to improve efficiency and effectiveness of health services through a more rational resource use.
Mr Gingong stated that over 4,000 people had so far been enrolled in the Ashanti, Upper East and Upper West regions, saying that the Ashanti Region received about 93 percentages turn out during the pilot stage.
NHIS not dead
He debunked claims that the NHIS was dying off and said the capitation policy, when successfully rolled out in the region, would help justify the activities of the scheme.
Mr Gingong urged the public not to read political meanings into the policy but to embrace it in good faith to enhance quality health service delivery.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna, admonished the NHIA to engage all segments of the population in the region to ensure its acceptability and the successful implementation of the policy.