The Minority in Parliament has dismissed claims by the government that the previous administration left behind debts under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), insisting that the Akufo-Addo government left a positive balance to sustain the scheme.
According to the caucus, the former administration left GH¢1 billion to cater for claims owed to healthcare service providers across the country.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, March 10, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Ayew Afriyie, said the current management of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) did not inherit any outstanding debt from the previous administration.
He explained that debts accumulated between 2021 and 2023 had already been cleared before the change in government.
“The current NHIA executives or management did not inherit any debt from the previous management. As of 2023, there was a debt of GH¢2.4 billion covering 2021, 2022 and 2023. That amount was paid in three tranches of GH¢800 million each by the then Controller and Accountant-General,” he said.
He stressed that the payments were publicly known and not done secretly, urging stakeholders to avoid politicising issues related to the national health insurance scheme.
“This is not anything done in secret. For that matter, let us put a stop to the over-politicisation of health insurance issues,” he added.
Dr Afriyie further argued that the existence of the GH¢1 billion balance contradicts claims that the NHIA was left with debts.
“How would they say there was debt when they were left with a positive balance of GH¢1 billion, which they used to pay claims for November, December, January and February?” he stated.
He maintained that the previous NPP administration left the NHIA in a financially sound position.
“We have made our communication very simple. We will continue to let Ghanaians know that the previous NPP government left the NHIA with a positive balance. It has not even happened before, and that money was used to pay claims for November, December, January and February,” he said.
