The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has held discussions with members of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) in the Ashanti Region. The meeting was held in Kumasi on Tuesday 31st October, 2011, to address the concerns of the Society regarding the imminent piloting of Capitation in the Ashanti Region. Capitation, an additional payment mechanism, alongside Fee for Service (FFS) and Diagnostic Related Groupings (DRG), is expected to improve efficiency and effectiveness of health services through more rational use of resources, simplify claims processing, address difficulties in forecasting and budgeting, introduce managed competition among health service providers, and improve the quality of care for NHIS subscribers, among other expected benefits. In his address, the Chief Executive of the NHIA, Mr. Sylvester Mensah assured the members of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners that the NHIA will settle all outstanding claims of service providers in the Ashanti region before the implementation of Capitation. Mr. Mensah also indicated that a committee will be set up to consider the concerns of the Doctors and other stakeholders, particularly regarding the perception that the proposed capitation rate is too low, in order to ensure a smooth implementation of the pilot programme. On why Ashanti Region was chosen for the pilot of capitation, Mr. Mensah explained that the purpose of the pilot is to learn lessons and eventually roll out capitation across the country as an additional provider payment mechanism. This objective made it prudent to pilot it in a region, and on a scale that was broad and wide enough to test the Scheme’s capacity to implement capitation nationwide. Ashanti Region also met the criteria set by a team constituted to advice on the selection of a pilot region. He said geographically the region is centrally located and diverse; it has a mix of rural and urban communities; it has the appropriate mix of health facilities - small health centres as well as big hospitals; and is quite representative of the rest of the country. A successful pilot would augur well for a country-wide roll-out. The chairman of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners in the Ashanti Region, Dr. E. H. Tawiah, on behalf of the Society, expressed gratitude for the assurances and cooperation of the NHIA, and pledged the support of the SPMDP for the introduction of Capitation, which is provisionally scheduled to be launched before the end of 2011.