NHIA Institutes Performance Assessment System To Evaluate Its Regional Operations

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has instituted a Point Assessment System (PAS) to objectively score the performance of its regional and district operations. Chief Executive of the NHIA, Nathaniel Otoo speaking at a mid-year review meeting of NHIA regional directors and district officials on Wednesday said the PAS developed last year aims at improving performance of district and regional offices to achieve set targets. The system, according to him, also seeks to ensure sustainable increase in active membership and premium mobilization. The Point Assessment System (PAS) has ten Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs include percentage of active members enrolled, poor and vulnerable persons enrolled, number of audit recommendations implemented, timely submission of reports, speed of complaint resolution and number of provider sites visited. Director of Membership and Regional Operations at the NHIA, Ben Kusi explained that the KPIs were weighted in a manner to reflect the priorities of the NHIA. To this end, he said, more weights were assigned to membership and premium mobilization to help the NHIA achieve its object of attaining Universal Health Coverage. The PAS, according to Collins Akuamoah, deputy director for membership, is to introduce healthy competition among district and regional offices, improve performance to achieve set targets, ensure sustainable increase in active membership and revenue mobilization across the country, enforce compliance in terms of policies, standards and procedures in the NHIA and award best performing district and regional offices. The NHIA has 10 regional offices, 155 district offices and 10 satellite offices which together manage the 10.54million subscribers of the scheme across the country. The Scheme also began an ambitious project of issuing instant ID cards at the point of registration. The instant ID card system known as the Biometric Membership Solution (BMS) is currently in nine regions of the country. The meeting which was meant to award high performing districts and regions in NHIS operations recognized regions and districts which performed creditably in enrolling more subscribers in both biometric and non-biometric regions for the year 2014. Atwima Mponua came tops for the highest membership registration under the BMS, followed by Subin and Sekyere East, all in the Ashanti region. The Bunkpurugu Yunyoo district in the Northern region topped in the non-biometric sector, followed by Tano South and Kintampo North districts, both in Brong Ahafo. Ashanti region was the best performing region in terms of membership enrollment under the Biometric Membership System, while Brong Ahafo came first in the non-BMS regions. Northern region was the best performer for membership in 2014.