Juaboso Health Insurance Scheme registers 140,115 members
The Sefwi Juaboso District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (DMHIS) has since its inception registered 140,115 members with children under 18 topping the list with 76,069.
Mr John Koah, the Juaboso District Scheme Manager, said on Friday that the high registration of those under-18 was the phenomenon of high teenage pregnancy and the fact parents registered only their children.
He was presenting a paper at a two-day meeting held by the Regional Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to enable the Regional Scheme managers take stock of their performance in 2011 and adopt strategies for the way forward.
He gave the breakdown as 18,606 for pregnant women, while the informal sector had a high figure of 39,530 and SSNIT contributors with a record of 2,779.
SSNIT Pensioners were registered with only 51, while the aged above 70 had 2,829 and the indigents 271.
Mr Koah said the informal sector recorded the highest because the district is largely rural with small number of formal sector workers.
He said men refused to register with the explanation that they do not get sick therefore do not need to join the scheme.
He said the number of pregnant women registered in 2011 reduced by 18.1 percent with a record of 4,539 as against 5,542 in 2010.
In the year under review, the Scheme received 18,611 identification cards and distributed 19,119.
On claims, he stated that the Scheme received GH¢2,703,658.19 representing 90.4 percent sayig that health providers have been paid up to October.
The Scheme Manager for the Jomoro NHIS, Mr Daniel Foli, said his outfit registered 16,390 new entrants and worked on 31,243 renewals with GH¢1, 999,078.46 received while it paid GH¢2, 323,832.05.
In an address Mr Francis Asante-Mensah, Regional NHIS Manager, appealed to the Managers to draw their action plan targeting 50 percent enrollment of fresh clients and another 50 percent renewals.
“Whatever means you adopt to achieve the regional target of 50 percent should take due cognizance of the principles of cost effectiveness”.
Most of the Scheme Managers mentioned inadequate accommodation and staffing as major challenges facing them and called for immediate attention.
Source: GNA