The use of mobile phones for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) membership renewals recorded 10 per cent increment in June 2021.
The National Health Insurance Authority in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday, said the total number of mobile renewals for the period under review was 572,384 representing an increase of 10 per cent on 519,578 in May 2021.
From July 2020 to June 2021, the ratio of mobile renewals to total renewals was around 79 per cent, whereas the ratio of mobile renewals to total renewals stood at 81 per cent in the month of June 2021, it said.
The total number of renewals for June 2021 was 706,464 representing an increase of approximately 10 per cent as compared to 642,739 renewals in the month of May 2021.
As at the end of June 2021, the statement said the cumulative January 2019 number of mobile renewals was 15,558,051.
In terms of membership categorization for June 2021, as usual children under 18 recorded the highest number of mobile renewals followed by the informed category, which is non-contributors to Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
The SSNIT Pension category recorded the lowest number of mobile renewals for the month of June 2021.
For the regional breakdown, apart from four regions comprising Oti, Upper West, Volta and Western North that recorded decreases in mobile renewals enrolment between the months of May 2021 and June 2021, all other regions recorded increases in mobile renewals, the statement said.
“For their own convenience, members are encouraged to use the Mobile Service platform for membership renewals.”
The multiple awards winning Mobile Membership Renewal service was launched on December 19, 2018 in line with government’s digitization drive.
It makes the scheme more accessible to its members and further improves the Scheme’s financial management.
The statement explained mobile phone renewals put a check on providers by reducing the chances of false claims generation through the option available to members to confirm or deny attendance after every facility visit requiring the use of the scheme’s cards.
“As part of government’s agenda to bring efficiency in Public Service and provide convenience to the public, it is now possible for NHIS members to link their cards to the Ghana card, making it one nation, one card for health access,” it noted.
Successful linkages, it explained, would ease traffic at the various NHIS District offices to allow staff enough time to monitor providers for effective quality of care.
