NHIA warns Bono Region health providers against illegal charges

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is urging healthcare providers in the Bono Region to stop charging patients illegally, warning that such actions undermine the smooth functioning of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The call comes after a midyear performance review by the NHIA’s Bono Regional Office, which highlighted both achievements and ongoing concerns in the scheme’s implementation.

In an interview in Sunyani, Bono Regional NHIA Director Isaac Badu Amponsah expressed disappointment over reports that some facilities are charging NHIS members despite recent payments by the government.

“We are not pleased with this kind of menace. Most complaints used to be about delays in claims payments. But now, we’ve cleared up to April, and even June and July are being handled. So there is no justification for facilities to charge NHIS members,” he said.

Mr. Amponsah revealed that over GHC1.5 billion has been released to health facilities in the past seven months. Of that, public hospitals received about 45%, private facilities 37%, and mission hospitals 18%.

The payments, he noted, are part of a broader push to keep providers financially stable and eliminate co-payments that burden patients.

He encouraged NHIS members to report any illegal charges for investigation and possible refunds. “We will not tolerate any unethical practices that erode public confidence in the system,” he said.

The region has also recorded steady growth in enrolment, with 843,129 members registered so far, representing 77.3% of the year’s target. Indigent registration has reached 65%, while mobile renewals stand at 59%.