The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority Dr. Okoe Boye has charged members of the National health Insurance scheme to fulfil their legal obligation of renewing their membership annually to continue to enjoy access to quality healthcare.
Dr. Okoe Boye partly blamed the laxity in renewing membership even after the introduction of a mobile renewal shortcode *929# on the confusion some NHIS members are faced with owing to the expiration dates printed behind the NHIS cards.
“Last Monday when I went for the consultation, there was this woman who came with our Card, and behind the expiry was 2023 but on our system I think she was active from October 2020 and became inactive in October 2021 but because the card says that it was valid until 2023 she got confused and missed out.”
The Card which visibly shows a 5-year validity period, has behind it, an expiration date that covers a 5-year term counting down from the very first date it was acquired. The CEO explained that this 5-year expiration date solely applies to the “lifespan” of the Physical card, however, members must renew annually in order to be active members of the scheme; eligible to have access to healthcare under the NHIS.
Speaking to a cross section of the media at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Head Office in Accra, Dr. Okoe Boye reiterated that management has taken into consideration the concerns raised by members on these expiration dates and are working assiduously to elucidate the confusion surrounding the annual renewal of membership by printing expiration dates that capture the 12-month period behind the cards.
Dr. Okoe Boye further stated that, all it takes for one to be insured under the NHIS is seven (7) Ghana cedis for SSNIT contributors and thirty (30) Ghana cedis or less (for rural folks) for non-SSNIT contributors. Thus, the decision to stay uninsured under the scheme is not based on affordability but rather a harsh decision not to care to be insured.
Every Ghanaian must renew their insurance annually, if you are a SSNIT contributor, an employer whether private or Public but employer pays SSNIT on your behalf, you are not supposed to pay any premium, all you pay is Ghc5.”
SOURCE: NHIA CORPORATE AFFAIRS
