NHIS One-Time Premium Will Collapse - IMANI

The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, has cautioned government to desist from implementing the one-time premium as it has the potential of collapsing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

According to him, the unscientific approach adopted in the consideration process means the proposal is unrealistic and not feasible.

This follows a decision by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to include the one-time premium in the National Health Insurance Bill.

He said: “It can be possible but it would not make sense because it will collapse. I don’t know why anybody would want to run an insurance scheme and then say that he also wants to charge a single charge premium and then damn the consequences. I would fire the person immediately because it looks to me that that person doesn’t even understand that his own insurance matters when it comes to a whole insurance entity.”

Mr. Cudjoe also stated that “if bureaucrats have been put in charge of a very vital institution like the National Health Scheme, which already has challenges, the last thing you want to do is to say that you want to impose a single time premium payment.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee, Muntaka Mubarak has insisted that the National Health Insurance Bill will give the Minister of Health the free hand to decide the amount to be charged for the one-time premium.

“The issue about certain premium and deciding what premium should be done in this bill is vested in the Minister. It is in the hands of the Minister to determine what amount of premium should be paid and whether premium should be paid or not to be paid,” he explained.

He, however, expressed the hope that the bill will be passed before the end of this year.

source: citifmonline

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