Payment of one-time premium expected to begin 2010

Page 15, Nov 12, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE implementation of the one-time premium payment proposed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its election 2008 manifesto is expected to begin by the later part of next year, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, has announced.
He said currently a number of proposals were being studied by the ministry for one to be selected for presentation to cabinet.
Dr Kunbuor, who has been nominated by the President as the substantive minister, made the announcement when he appeared before Parliament to answer some questions which had been filed by some Members of Parliament (MPs).
The MP for Techiman South, Mr Simons Addai, had asked the minister why the NHIS secretariat at Techiman had increased the annual premium from GH¢14.00 to GH¢18.00.
Dr Kunbuor explained in an answer to a supplementary question that if the proposal for the one-time NHIS premium was accepted by Cabinet, it would be placed before Parliament to seek the approval of the House.
Answering the main question, the deputy minister stated that the Techiman Mutual Health Insurance Scheme charged premiums within the range of GH¢7.20 to GH¢48.00 provided for in the NHIS policy document.
He explained that though the minimum premium within the scheme remained at GH¢7.20, the scheme’s assessment of registrants put a bulk of its membership in a payment range between GH¢14.00 and GH¢18.00.
Dr Kunbuor stated that out of the amount charged, GH¢4.00, was for registration and the processing of applications, including the issuance of the new NHIS identity cards.
He added that the effective premiums charged ranged between GH¢10.00 for the renewal of membership and GH¢14.00 for new membership and it was not the case that the premium had been increased.
Answering another question posed by the MP for Dormaa East, Mr Yaw Ntow-Ababio, the minister said that funding constraints had made it difficult for the ministry to keep pace with the rehabilitation of health centres nationwide.
The MP wanted to ascertain when the Dormaa Akwamu Health Centre, which was constructed in 1962, would be rehabilitated.
Dr Kunbuor said that efforts were, however, being made to rehabilitate the Dormaa Akwamu Health Centre with both internally generated funds and funds from the central government sources.
He explained that the rehabilitation of the centre, among others, had been prioritised in the capital development plan of the ministry for 2009 to 2012.