VOLTA NHIS RECORDS LOW RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP

Out of over 1.3 million subscribers of the national health insurance scheme in the Volta region, just a little over 400 thousand representing about 30% subscribers are active members, that is; those who have renewed their membership as at June 2011.

Mr. Elliot Nestor Akototse, the Volta regional manager of the national health insurance authority made this known at a two day mid-year review meeting of the 15 schemes in the region held in Ho last Thursday.

 Mr. Akototse therefore urged the various schemes to assess their performance during the first half of the year and also develop new strategies to encourage existing subscribers to renew their membership and also lure non-members to join the scheme in order to attain the national subscriber base target of 64% from the current 54%. 

 In a later interview with Volta Premier FM in Ho, the regional NHIA boss attributed the large number of inactive membership to the attitude of subscribers, who according to him wait until they are sick before they renew their membership.

Mr. Akototse said, from the beginning of October 2011, health insurance subscribers who renew their membership would have to wait for three months before using their cards to access health care.

He therefore called on subscribers whose memberships have expired to renew before October 1, 2011 to continue benefiting from the scheme.