NHIS accredited hospitals in Upper East to go cash-and-carry if…

The Upper East branch of Health Insurance Service Providers Association of Ghana (HISPAG) have threatened to commence co-payment of drugs to NHIS card bearers’ on October 1, 2015, if  the National Health Insurance Authority  does not  urgently release realistic drug tariffs  by September 30.

Addressing a press conference in Bolgatanga, regional president of HISPAG, Dr. Francis Asaana said the last time the authority reviewed its drug tarrif was in July 2014.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SX5owXFzmhCYKVWh0qCFKNhhwhnJKsHU”]He added that  over 50 percent of the drugs on the NHIS list are below market prices and lamented that several appeals to the authority to review it have proved futile.

Dr. Asaana stressed that HISPAG facilities are operating at a loss because the high cost of drugs.

“…For example, we buy the most genuine paracetamol from Letap pharmaceuticals at a cost of 31 pesewas per tablet but insurance says it should be billed 20 pesewas per tablet. We buy P-alaxcin from Tobinco pharmaceuticals at GHC8.00 per course but insurance says we should bill it on subscribers at 5.50 pesewas. Who bears the extra cost?” he asked.

The doctor insisted that “if this is not tackled what is going to happen is that, people will be compelled to go to Nigeria and other countries  to bring in fake and cheaper drugs for patients and it won’t be good for the country.”

“We are therefore appealing to the NHIS as a matter of urgency to immediately release the new drug tariff that they have so that we can meet the financial needs in fact we in the upper east  have given NHIS up to 30th September to give a realistic drug tariffs else on the 1st of October we will start co-payment.”

He said even though insurance does not allow for co-payment, it is the best option because it will reduce the risk of patients buying  prescribed  drugs at exorbitant prices outside health facilities.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana