Techiman: MCE  warns NHIS Service Providers against charging unapproved fees 

Honorable. Benjamin Yaw Gyarko, Municipal Chief Executive for Techiman the Bono East Regional capital has cautioned Hospitals or Clinics providing services for clients under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to desist from taking unapproved fees from patients under the pretense of the Government delaying in paying their claims.

Honorable. Benjamin Gyarko who was the Manager of Techiman Municipal Health Insurance Scheme before becoming an MCE admitted the challenges facing the health facilities but also maintained that it is illegal and criminal to take money from a patient for services rendered and again submit bills to NHIA to claim payment for same services already charged.

He made this observation in an interview with our Correspondent Nana Anfreh Damanata when the Techiman Municipal Health Insurance Scheme held its "End of Year Stakeholders and Performance Review Meeting for 2021".

On his part, Mr. George Oppong Dankwah, the Bono East Regional Manager of NHI commended Stakeholders and Staff for the extraordinary performance in the 2021 operational year and called on all to register to enjoy the numerous benefits of the scheme as the Government has added more diseases unto the insurance list.

Meanwhile, Mr. Maxwell Mahama, the Sunyani Municipal Manager of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has called on members of the scheme to report accredited service providers who charged unapproved fees for providing medication.

He emphasized the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), managers of the scheme have signed contracts with accredited public and private health facilities to provide quality healthcare services to clients free of charge.

 Mr. Mahama made the call when speaking at a community sensitization forum on the rights and responsibilities of NHIS members, held at Atronie, a farming community in the Sunyani Municipality.

He said beneficiaries owned the NHIS and their roles towards strengthening and sustaining the scheme remained paramount.

The beneficiaries of the scheme had earlier raised concerns that some service providers of the scheme in the Sunyani Municipality were charging beneficiaries of the scheme for some services.