The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is preparing to roll out a Cashless Payment System for health providers to enhance the credentialing process. Additionally, the NHIA will introduce a Business Intelligence Solution (BIS) to improve the collection of NHIS membership information, providing more accurate data for better-informed decision-making.

As part of these ongoing developments, a demonstration and brainstorming session for the two innovations—currently in the preparatory stages—was held at the NHIA Headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. A broad range of internal stakeholders, including directors, deputy directors, and managers from various NHIA directorates, participated in the meeting to discuss the two initiatives.

The session provided a collaborative platform for idea sharing as the NHIA prepares to launch the Cashless Payment System and BIS fully. These initiatives are expected to streamline services and equip the NHIA with real-time data to serve its members and stakeholders better.  

Key Highlights

The Cashless Payment System is designed to simplify the payment process for credentialed facilities, allowing them to enroll or renew membership using electronic payment options. This initiative is expected to accelerate the health provider enrollment and renewal process and offer a more efficient and convenient way to manage payments.

By introducing this system, the NHIA aims to reduce manual intervention, speed up processing times, and enhance overall efficiency. The Business Intelligence Solution (BIS) will play a crucial role in facilitating the collection, analysis, and reporting of membership data, helping improve the NHIA’s decision-making processes. BIS will provide a comprehensive platform for gathering scientific data, such as monthly, quarterly, and yearly statistics on active membership.

It will also track the most used registration and renewal platforms and capture important information on SSNIT contributors, Ghana Card users for registration, indigent membership details, and more.

BIS is still in its early stages but is expected to be fully operational soon. Once implemented, the system will allow real-time monitoring of membership trends and healthcare services, enabling annual data comparisons to identify patterns that can inform NHIA policies and future initiatives.

Digitisation Agenda

The acting Director of Management Information Systems (MIS) at NHIA, Mr. Daniel Blankson, who chaired the meeting, emphasised the significance of these innovations as key components of the NHIA’s broader digitisation agenda. “This is one of the many components of our digitisation agenda aimed at fully digitising NHIA operations,” he said.

He explained that the meeting's focus was on the credentialing system and BIS, while other innovations were also in progress. “It is crucial that we collaborate to understand how these two innovations can improve the overall delivery of services by the NHIA,” Mr. Blankson added.

He expressed satisfaction with the high turnout and highlighted that the participation of key internal stakeholders was vital to the success of these technological advancements. After the meeting, Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Ag. Director of Corporate Affairs at the NHIA shared his thoughts on the two innovations.

He explained that the introduction of the Cashless Payment System and BIS represented a major step forward for the NHIA in modernising its operations and improving services for Ghanaians. “By leveraging technology to collect, analyse, and present data in real-time, the NHIA will be better equipped to make informed decisions, ultimately leading to enhanced health insurance services for its members,” he said.

Mr. Essuah-Mensah noted that stakeholders are eager to see how these innovations will improve the speed, efficiency, and transparency of processes within the NHIS. He affirmed the Authority’s commitment to enhancing its services through digital transformation and positioning itself as a leader in modern healthcare insurance administration.

By DOREEN ANDOH

Pix: Ebenezer Danso