The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority, Mr. Sylvester Mensah has embarked on a two-week tour of the country as head of a team of senior management personnel of the Authority to train scheme managers, accountants, claims officers and information systems officers in the use of a new financial reporting software developed by the Authority. The project is to ensure improvement in financial discipline at the schemes and to ensure timely release of accurate data by the schemes to the Authority for efficient planning. It is also to ensure quick processing and payment of claims to service providers. Addressing staff of 18 District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes from the Northern region in Tamale on the first leg of the training tour, last Thursday, Mr. Mensah said the schemes were now required to electronically submit monthly financial reports and data to the Authority. The reports, he said must cover their reimbursement status which will be determined by total amount of claims submitted by service providers, deductions for rejected claims, claims payments received from NHIA head office and outstanding balances, if any. Mr. Mensah said the schemes were to indicate their monthly incomes or revenue status from total premium payments, processing fees, other amounts collected from subscribers, as well as subsidies, reinsurance and administrative support received from the Authority. They were to indicate their expenditure status from the total claims paid and administrative expenses made. The Chief executive said any District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme that failed to submit the monthly financial reports and data will be severely sanctioned, including outright dismissal of the officer found culpable. He said poor or non-reporting of financial status of the schemes on timely basis had been the bane of the NHIS and contributed to the huge indebtedness to providers. The result was that the Authority lacked accurate data on the financial status of the schemes to enable financial discipline at the schemes and the timely release of accurate data to the Authority for efficient planning. It was also to ensure quick processing and payment of claims to service providers, effective planning and decision making. Mr. Mensah said the Authority will not relent in its efforts to stamp out corruption in the system and take tough measures to contain cost in order to make the NHIS financially sustainable. Source: Eric Ametor-Quarmyne, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs