The newest addition, known as ‘Claim it’, brings to five the number of innovations introduced by the scheme over the past one and half-years, to improve quality health delivery and prudent management of the scheme.

Consequently, 38 service providers in the Wa municipality, where implementation of the programme begins on January 2, 2017, could use the software to process and submit their claims to the NHIS.

Claim-it would also enable service providers and the NHIA to reduce errors in claims and inconsistencies, improve claims processing time, and enhance decision making and reporting for both the NHIS and its service providers.

Addressing the media, the acting Chief Executive of the scheme, Mr. Nathaniel Otoo, said the NHIS was “growing in leaps and bounds”.

He said the software which enabled service providers to enter claims electronically, even without internet connection, was an all encompassing system which saved not only time, but provided information on the service the provider was seeking claims for.

He said the latest innovation would help prevent fraud and improve clients’-service provider relationship.

He described the claim-it software as a novelty, adding that because claims management is “extremely technical”, such innovations helped to identify inefficiencies.

Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, Director General, Ghana Health Service, said the NHIS was one of the best social protection programmes, that covered many people, especially the vulnerable.

That aside, Dr. Appiah-Denkyira was optimistic the new software would improve standards and enhance clinical auditing.

Clients’, he said, would heave a sigh of relief as they would be provided the quality of care whenever they visited health facilities.

“This is a leap forward and I believe it will solve a lot of problems for management, service providers and clients,” he said.

By Malik Sullemana