The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the Bono Region has intensified efforts to eliminate illegal charges under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), urging members to report any health facility that demands unauthorized payments for services covered by the scheme.
The Bono Regional Director of the NHIA, Mr. Isaac Badu Amponsah, said the Authority would investigate and prosecute any accredited service provider found engaging in co-payment or other illegal fee collections.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr. Amponsah stressed that there is no policy permitting co-payment under the NHIS, describing the practice as unlawful and detrimental to the credibility of the national health insurance programme.
He maintained that demanding unauthorized payments from NHIS members was tantamount to stealing and assured subscribers that any money collected illegally would be refunded once the matter was investigated.
Mr. Amponsah said the Authority was committed to sanitising the scheme and called on the public to support the campaign by promptly reporting offending healthcare providers.
He noted that public cooperation was crucial in protecting the integrity of the NHIS and ensuring that members enjoyed the full benefits of the scheme without being exploited.
The Regional Director also highlighted the growing impact of the NHIS on healthcare delivery in the Bono Region, expressing confidence that the Authority would surpass its 2026 registration target of 1,372,986 members.
According to him, the region currently has 927,178 active NHIS members, reflecting steady progress in enrolment and renewed public confidence in the scheme.
Mr. Amponsah further appealed to accredited healthcare providers to submit their insurance claims promptly to facilitate timely reimbursements and ensure the smooth operation of the NHIS.
