Mission hospitals to reject NHIS cards from July 2

Mission Hospitals have said they would not honour National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards from tomorrow, July 2.
NHIS subscribers who receive treatment at mission hospitals will be made to pay cash.
This follows the decision by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) to withdraw its services to NHIS subscribers because the Scheme’s managers owe mission hospitals more than GH¢ 50million.
There are 183 mission hospitals in the country which cater for about 42 per cent of the healthcare needs in the country, especially deprived communities.
A CHAG source said the association had asked the NHIA to pay the arrears but that has not been done.
The source said public notices would be posted at mission hospitals to inform patients of the decision by the association to revert to the cash-and-carry system.
It said due to the rising cost of goods and services, high inflationary rates, the depreciation of the cedi against the major currencies and high utility bills, the delay in paying the huge amount owed had made things unbearable for the service providers.
“If paracetamol cost GH¢ 1 in March 2014 and now costs GH¢ 2 and you have refused to pay the amount owed us today, then anytime the money will be paid, it will mean that the service provider will have to go for a loan to top up before paying its debtors.
“We cannot afford even simple disposables. What do they want us to do? Fold up or what?” the source asked.
Members of the association have been threatened with court action due to the huge sums of money they owe their suppliers.
Last year, the association resolved to withdraw its services because of the NHIS’s indebtedness to it, but the Ministry of Health intervened and promised to ensure the settlement of the arrears.