NHIA, Greater Accra Regional Hospital Join Forces to End Co-Payment

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating the practice of charging illegal fees, commonly called ‘co-payment.’
Under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), members are prohibited from making part or full payments for services and commodities covered by the Scheme.
The hospital made this assurance last Friday during a visit by the newly appointed Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, who was accompanied by his team. The visit was aimed at assessing the NHIS’s performance.
Accompanying Dr. Bampoe were several key officials from the NHIA, including Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs; Dr. Mrs. Ruby Aileen Mensah Annan, Director of Strategic Health Purchasing; Dr. Abigail Nyarko Cudjoe Derkyi-Kwarteng, Acting Director of Claims; Mr. Francis Oti Frempong, Director of Membership and Regional Operations; Dr. Gustav Cruickshank, Director of Financial Accounting; and Dr. Yaw Opoku-Boateng, Director of Quality Assurance.
The Co-payment Dilemma
Dr. Ralph Armah, the hospital’s Managing Director, clarified that the hospital did not wish to burden NHIS members with out-of-pocket payments.
However, he explained that the issue arose from factors beyond their control.
He attributed the challenge to the Ghana Health Service’s classification of the hospital as a secondary-level facility, although most of its services are tertiary-level. This misclassification prevents the hospital from recovering all its operational costs through the NHIS.
“We have been discussing this issue frequently in hopes of finding a solution,” Dr. Armah said. “We would appreciate it if the NHIA could help facilitate a reclassification of the hospital as a tertiary-level facility so that we can recoup all our operational costs under the scheme and reduce our financial losses.”
Dr. Armah also pointed to low tariffs and delays in the ongoing tariff adjustment process contributing to the illegal co-payment practice.
Addressing the Issue
Dr. Bampoe reassured all stakeholders that, in alignment with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of enhancing public trust in the NHIS, the Authority would collaborate with all relevant parties to address the challenges and work towards ending co-payment as quickly as possible.
“The NHIA remains committed to restoring public confidence in the NHIS and ensuring Universal Health Coverage for all,” Dr. Bampoe emphasized.

A Major Challenge
Mr. Essuah-Mensah, the Acting Director of Corporate Affairs, acknowledged that co-payment was one of the NHIA’s most significant challenges. He emphasized that the Authority had made it a top priority to end this illegal practice, describing it as a threat to the NHIS’s credibility and hard-earned reputation.
“Co-payment undermines the integrity of the Scheme,” Mr. Essuah-Mensah said. “It’s crucial that we collaborate with the hospital to resolve this issue and protect the reputation of the NHIS.”
The visit was part of Dr. Bampoe’s broader stakeholder engagement agenda, which seeks to gather firsthand insights into the NHIS’s performance. Through collaborative efforts with hospitals and other stakeholders, the NHIA aims to enhance the Scheme’s effectiveness and sustainability.