The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has begun issuing instant identity cards based on biometric data.
The Chief Executive of the NHIA, Sylvester Mensah announced this at the 2014 NHIA stakeholders’ forum in Accra on Tuesday.
The forum examined measures and strategies to improve transparency and accountability in the running of the scheme.
The Authority in 2013 commenced a pilot project to register new subscribers onto the NHIS biometrically in two districts, Ayawaso and La, in the Greater Accra region.
But according to Mr. Mensah, all the schemes in Accra have been migrated onto the new system while “eight out of 13 schemes in the Central Region have joined.”
The CEO of the NHIS explained that the new biometric system is “expected to help authenticate our subscribers at healthcare facilities.”
It is also to enable the NHIA clean up its data base “to avoid duplication and reduce the opportunity for abuse and fraud among other benefits.”
On the issue of capitation, Mr. Mensah disclosed that the Upper East, Upper West and the Volta Regions have been earmarked for the second phase of the NHIS capitation after a two-year run in the Ashanti Region.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana