By OGEMDI OZOEMENAM, Awka
The new Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Augustine Ezeka has charged the 117 Healthcare Providers implementing the state health insurance scheme to increase the quality of care given to ASHIA patients in the state.
He stated this in Awka during his first official interactive session with Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of 117 accredited hospitals executing the state health insurance scheme as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage and improve access to quality healthcare for Ndi Anambra.
Speaking on the theme “Technical discussion on provider payment mechanism and quality of care,” Dr Ezeka said the event seeks to ensure timely and fair provider payments, improved quality of care delivery, strong partnership for better health and sustainable health system for all.
He noted that this is critical to acquaint CMDs and participants about the healthcare mantra of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to strengthen collaboration, improve service delivery, and enhance the implementation of health insurance services across the state.
Dr Ezeka said ASHIA has taken the sensitisation message to major markets in Anambra as well as hosts TV/Radio programmes twice a week on ABS, NTA and Odenigbo FM for people to understand the benefits of health insurance and generate massive enrollment to the scheme.
“The essence is for them to see the need to increase the quality of care to our patients, while we share ideas with them, understand their problems and proffer solutions to them.
“When we look at the quality of care, if poor, we revert back to the hospital for improvement or commendation where necessary.”
Dr Ezeka assured the CMDs that the agency’s Call Centre will be optimally functional to receive calls from the hospitals about complaints or request from hospitals to treat certain cases.
“Every emergency case is treated by ASHIA. After treatment, the hospital have two days to notify us for onward payment.”
Presenting a paper on Healthcare Financing, a medical expert and former Director-General of Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Alfred Ebiakafo, elaborated the health insurance business and urged participants to shun acts that could undermine the laudable efforts of the state government in ASHIA.
He charged them to maintain good customer care system to sustain large inflow of patients to their hospitals for the benefits of all.
“Health Insurance is where somebody goes to hospital without cracking your head about what to pay. The benefit is that it eases the burden of what to pay after recieving care and solves all the problems associated with health financing. Thus, it is a win-win thing for everybody.
“Similarly, Capitation is an advance payment by government to the hospital to help them prepare themselves for the business of healthcare. If for instance, you have a thousand lives and they are paying you #900 per life regardless of whether the person comes to the hospital or not.
“Statistically, 15% of enrolees go to the hospital. Imagine you have 1000 people out of which only 100 access care, the 900 is still there unaccessed for you as benefits. So even if you spend money for 500 people to treat 100, you still have a surplus. That’s what capitation does.
“The healthcare providers should see this as good business. This is because you are not going to drag your patient to pay you money for treatment and won’t worry about how to pay. You will benefit more from the whole. The earlier you embrace this health insurance business, the better for everybody,” he concluded
Other resource persons like Mr Tochukwu Ibeziako and Nurse Glory Ekini spoke on the overview of health insurance, fee-for-service, capitation fee, and other related matters, describing them as crucial components of health insurance delivery.
