Effect of mobile phone-based health insurance contribution payment system on retention of coverage in the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana: an evaluation study.

BACKGROUND: Ghana introduced a mobile phone-based contribution payment system in its national health insurance scheme (NHIS) in December 2018 to improve the process of enrolment. We evaluated the effect of this digital health intervention on retention of coverage in the Scheme, one year after its implementation. METHODS: We used NHIS enrolment data for the period, 1 December 2018-31 December 2019. Descriptive statistics and propensity-score matching method were performed to examine a sample of 57,993 members' data. RESULTS: Proportion of members who renewed their membership in the NHIS via the mobile phone-based contribution payment system increased from 0% to 8.5% whilst those who did so through the office-based system only grew from 4.7% to 6.4% over the study period. The chance of renewing membership was higher by 17.4 percentage points for users of the mobile phone-based contribution payment system, compared to those who used the office-based contribution payment system. The effect was greater for the informal sector workers, males and the unmarried. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile phone-based health insurance renewal system is improving coverage in the NHIS particularly for members who hitherto were less likely to renew their membership. Policy makers need to devise an innovative way for new members and all member categories to enrol using this payment system to accelerate progress towards attainment of universal health coverage. Further study needs to be conducted using mixed-method design with inclusion of more variables.

Achieving global mortality reduction targets and universal health coverage: The impact of COVID-19.

Wenhui Mao and coauthors discuss possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for health aspirations in low- and middle-income countries.

Provider preference for payment method under a national health insurance scheme: A survey of health insurance-credentialed health care providers in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Ghana introduced capitation payment method in 2012 but was faced with resistance from provider groups and civil society organizations for its perceived negative effects on quality care delivery. This study seeks to explore the views of providers to understand their preferred payment method for the various types of services they provide in order to inform the discussion and negotiations during this period of reform. Findings will not only aid the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to improve the implementation arrangements but also provide useful inputs for other low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in their quest to reform their provider payment systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 200 credentialed health care providers' in the three regions of Ghana on providers' preference for payment method. We administered closed-ended questionnaires employing 5-point Likert scales for measurement of payment method preference. Descriptive and regression analysis were performed to examine healthcare providers' background characteristics and their association with preferred payment method for primary care. RESULTS: In general, health care providers prefer the Ghana-Diagnosis-Related Grouping (G-DRG) payment method to fee-for-service and capitation payment methods. Result of bivariate analyses showed that healthcare providers' preference for payment method for primary outpatient services differed significantly by their region of residence (p<0.001). The multinomial logic model showed that being a female (p = 0.013) or healthcare provider in the Volta region (p = 0.008) was significantly associated with health provider preference for G-DRG payment method relative to fee-for-service. Similarly, being a healthcare provider in the Volta region (p = 0.026) or Medical Assistant (p = 0.032) was significantly associated with capitation relative to fee-for-service payment method. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the most preferred payment method across all regions is the G-DRG. However, whereas providers in the Volta region are not willing to accept capitation as payment method, this was not the case in Ashanti and Central regions. Capitation payment method as an option for primary care services in Ghana should, therefore, not be ruled out of the discussion.

Sociodemographic determinants of health insurance enrolment and dropout in urban district of Ghana: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Earlier studies have found significant associations between sociodemographic factors and enrolment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana. These studies were mainly household surveys in relatively rural areas with high incidence of poverty. To expand the scope of existing evidence, this paper examines policy design factors associated with enrolment and dropout of the scheme in an urban poor district using routine secondary data. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional quantitative analysis of 2014-2016 NHIS enrolment data of the Ashiedu Keteke district office. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine sociodemographic factors associated with NHIS enrolment and dropout. RESULTS: A total of 215,724 individuals enrolled in the NHIS over the period under study, of which 98,232 (46%) were new members. About 41% of existing members in 2014 dropped out of the NHIS in 2015 and 53% of those in 2015 dropped out in 2016. The indigents (core poor) are significantly more likely to enrol and to drop out of the NHIS. However, the males, informal sector employees, social security and national insurance trust (SSNIT) contributors, and the aged (70+ years) are significantly less likely to enrol in the NHIS but more likely to retain coverage. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of members are dropping out of the NHIS. The indigents in particular, are increasingly enrolling in and dropping out of the NHIS whilst the males, informal sector employees, SSNIT contributors and the aged are not enrolling as expected but increasingly retaining coverage. Policy reforms to ensuring continued growth towards realization of universal health coverage should take these factors into consideration.

Is enrolment in the national health insurance scheme in Ghana pro-poor? Evidence from the Ghana Living Standards Survey.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines equity in enrolment in the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to inform policy decisions on progress towards realisation of universal health coverage (UHC). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6). SETTING: Household based. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 16 774 household heads participated in the GLSS 6 which was conducted between 18 October 2012 and 17 October 2013. ANALYSIS: Equity in enrolment was assessed using concentration curves and bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine associated factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Equity in NHIS enrolment. RESULTS: Survey participants had a mean age of 46 years and mean household size of four persons. About 71% of households interviewed had at least one person enrolled in the NHIS. Households in the poorest wealth quintile (73%) had enrolled significantly (p<0.001) more than those in the richest quintile (67%). The concentration curves further showed that enrolment was slightly disproportionally concentrated among poor households, particularly those headed by males. However, multivariate logistic analyses showed that the likelihood of NHIS enrolment increased from poorer to richest quintile, low to high level of education and young adults to older adults. Other factors including sex, household size, household setting and geographic region were significantly associated with enrolment. CONCLUSIONS: From 2012 to 2013, enrolment in the NHIS was higher among poor households, particularly male-headed households, although multivariate analyses demonstrated that the likelihood of NHIS enrolment increased from poorer to richest quintile and from low to high level of education. Policy-makers need to ensure equity within and across gender as they strive to achieve UHC.

Evaluating services for perinatal asphyxia and low birth weight at two hospitals in Ghana: a micro-costing analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal mortality has been decreasing slowly in Ghana despite investments in maternal-newborn services. Although community-based interventions are effective in reducing newborn deaths, hospital-based services provide better health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the process and cost of hospital-based services for perinatal asphyxia and low birth weight/preterm at a district and a regional level referral hospital in Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 2 hospitals in Greater Accra Region during May-July 2016. Term infants with perinatal asphyxia and low birth weight/preterm infants referred for special care within 24hours after birth were eligible. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) approach was used to examine the process and cost of all activities in the full cycle of care from admission until discharge or death. Costs were analysed from health provider's perspective. RESULTS: Sixty-two newborns (perinatal asphyxia 27, low-birth-weight/preterm 35) were enrolled. Cost of care was proportionately related to length-of-stay. Personnel costs constituted over 95% of direct costs, and all resources including personnel, equipment and supplies were overstretched. CONCLUSION: TDABC analysis revealed gaps in the organization, process and financing of neonatal services that undermined the quality of care for hospitalized newborns. The study provides baseline cost data for future cost-effectiveness studies on neonatal services in Ghana. FUNDING: Authors received no external funding for the study.

Effects of capitation payment on utilization and claims expenditure under National Health Insurance Scheme: a cross-sectional study of three regions in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: Ghana introduced capitation payment under National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), beginning with pilot in the Ashanti region, in 2012 with a key objective of controlling utilization and related cost. This study sought to analyse utilization and claims expenditure data before and after introduction of capitation payment policy to understand whether the intended objective was achieved. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional, using a non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group design. We did trend analysis, comparing utilization and claims expenditure data from three administrative regions of Ghana, one being an intervention region and two being control regions, over a 5-year period, 2010-2014. We performed multivariate analysis to determine differences in utilization and claims expenditure between the intervention and control regions, and a difference-in-differences analysis to determine the effect of capitation payment on utilization and claims expenditure in the intervention region. RESULTS: Findings indicate that growth in outpatient utilization and claims expenditure increased in the pre capitation period in all three regions but slowed in post capitation period in the intervention region. The linear regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in outpatient utilization (p = 0.0029) and claims expenditure (p = 0.0003) between the intervention and the control regions before implementation of the capitation payment. However, only claims expenditure showed significant difference (p = 0.0361) between the intervention and control regions after the introduction of capitation payment. A difference-in-differences analysis, however, showed that capitation payment had a significant negative effect on utilization only, in the Ashanti region (p < 0.007). Factors including availability of district hospitals and clinics were significant predictors of outpatient health care utilization. CONCLUSION: We conclude that outpatient utilization and related claims expenditure increased in both pre and post capitation periods, but the increase in post capitation period was at slower rate, suggesting that implementation of capitation payment yielded some positive results. Health policy makers in Ghana may, therefore, want to consider capitation a key provider payment method for primary outpatient care in order to control cost in health care delivery.

Perception of quality health care delivery under capitation payment: a cross-sectional survey of health insurance subscribers and providers in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Ghana introduced capitation payment method in 2012 but was faced with resistance for its perceived poor quality of care. This paper assesses National Health Insurance Scheme subscribers and care providers' perception of quality of care under the capitation payment method. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey of subscribers and care providers perception of quality of care in three administrative regions of Ghana using a 5-point Likert scale for the assessment based on a set of quality of care measures. We performed descriptive analysis to determine average perception of quality of care scores for each of the measures used. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were also performed to examine relationships between respondent's characteristics and their perception of quality of care. RESULTS: In general, subscribers expressed positive perception about the quality of care though subscribers in Ashanti were less positive compared to those in the Central region. A chi-square analysis, however, showed significant differences in subscribers' perception of quality of care by occupation (p = 0.002), region (p = 0.007) length of NHIS membership (p = 0.006), and age (p = 0.014). Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that different factors, other than region of residence, were significantly associated with perceived good quality of care. Analysis of health care providers' responses also showed significant differences in their perception of quality of care by region (p = 0.001). Multivariate logistic model showed that health care providers in the Volta region (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.58) were significantly less likely to perceive quality of care as good compared to those in the Ashanti region. CONCLUSION: Subscribers and care providers across the three regions have relatively good perception of the quality of health care in general though subscribers in Ashanti were less positive than those in the Central region. It is, therefore, plausible that capitation payment may have influenced the relatively low perception of quality of care in the Ashanti region.

Does a provider payment method affect membership retention in a health insurance scheme? a mixed method study of Ghana's capitation payment for primary care.

BACKGROUND: Ghana introduced a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 applying fee-for-service method for paying NHIS-credentialed health care providers. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) later introduced diagnosis-related-grouping (DRG) payment to contain cost without much success. The NHIA then introduced capitation payment, a decision that attracted complaints of falling enrolment and renewal rates from stakeholders. This study was done to provide evidence on this trend to guide policy debate on the issue. METHODS: We applied mixed method design to the study. We did a trend analysis of NHIS membership data in Ashanti, Volta and Central regions to assess growth rate; performed independent-sample t-test to compare sample means of the three regions and analysed data from individual in-depth interviews to determine any relationship between capitation payment and subscribers' renewal decision. RESULTS: Results of new enrolment data analysis showed differences in mean growth rates between Ashanti (M = 30.15, SE 3.03) and Volta (M = 40.72, SE 3.10), p = 0.041; r = 0. 15; and between Ashanti and Central (M = 47.38, SE6.49) p = 0.043; r = 0. 42. Analysis of membership renewal data, however, showed no significant differences in mean growth rates between Ashanti (M = 65.47, SE 6.67) and Volta (M = 69.29, SE 5.04), p = 0.660; r = 0.03; and between Ashanti and Central (M = 50.51, SE 9.49), p = 0.233. Analysis of both new enrolment and renewal data also showed no significant differences in mean growth rates between Ashanti (M = - 13.76, SE 17.68) and Volta (M = 5.48, SE 5.50), p = 0.329; and between Ashanti and Central (M = - 6.47, SE 12.68), p = 0.746. However, capitation payment had some effect in Ashanti compared with Volta (r = 0. 12) and Central (r = 0. 14); but could not be sustained beyond 2012. Responses from the in-depth interviews did not also show that capitation payment is a key factor in subscribers' renewal decision. CONCLUSION: Capitation payment had a small but unsustainable effect on membership growth rate in the Ashanti region. Factors other than capitation payment may have played a more significant role in subscribers' enrolment and renewal decisions in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Reducing medical claims cost to Ghana's National Health Insurance scheme: a cross-sectional comparative assessment of the paper- and electronic-based claims reviews.

BACKGROUND: A robust medical claims review system is crucial for addressing fraud and abuse and ensuring financial viability of health insurance organisations. This paper assesses claims adjustment rate of the paper- and electronic-based claims reviews of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional comparative assessment of paper- and electronic-based claims reviews of the NHIS. Medical claims of subscribers for the year, 2014 were requested from the claims directorate and analysed. Proportions of claims adjusted by the paper- and electronic-based claims reviews were determined for each type of healthcare facility. Bivariate analyses were also conducted to test for differences in claims adjustments between healthcare facility types, and between the two claims reviews. RESULTS: The electronic-based review made overall adjustment of 17.0% from GHS10.09 million (USD2.64 m) claims cost whilst the paper-based review adjusted 4.9% from a total of GHS57.50 million (USD15.09 m) claims cost received, and the difference was significant (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in claims cost adjustment rate between healthcare facility types by the electronic-based (p = 0.0656) and by the paper-based reviews (p = 0.6484). CONCLUSIONS: The electronic-based review adjusted significantly higher claims cost than the paper-based claims review. Scaling up the electronic-based review to cover claims from all accredited care providers could reduce spurious claims cost to the scheme and ensure long term financial sustainability.

Value and Service Quality Assessment of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana: Evidence from Ashiedu Keteke District.

BACKGROUND: Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 to provide financial access to health care for all residents. OBJECTIVES: This article analyzed claims reimbursement data of the NHIS to assess the value of the benefit package to the insured and responsiveness of the service to the financial needs of health services providers. METHODS: Medical claims data reported between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, were retrieved from the database of Ashiedu Keteke District Office of the National Health Insurance Authority. The incurred claims ratio, promptness of claims settlements, and claims adjustment rate were analyzed over the 5-year period. RESULTS: In all, 644,663 medical claims with a cost of Ghana cedi (GHS) 11.8 million (US $3.1 million) were reported over the study period. The ratio of claims cost to contributions paid increased from 4.3 to 7.2 over the 2011-2013 period, and dropped to 5.0 in 2014. The proportion of claims settled beyond 90 days also increased from 26% to 100% between 2011 and 2014. Generally, the amount of claims adjusted was low; however, it increased consistently from 1% to about 4% over the 2011-2014 period. The reasons for claims adjustments included provision of services to ineligible members, overbilling of services, and misapplication of diagnosis related groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is increased value of the NHIS benefit package to subscribers; however, the scheme's responsiveness to the financial needs of health services providers is low. This calls for a review of the NHIS policy to improve financial viability and service quality.

Performance Assessment of Ga District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed performance of the Ga District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme over the period 2007-2009. METHODS: The desk review method was used to collect secondary data on membership coverage, revenue, expenditure, and claims settlement patterns of the scheme. A household survey was also conducted in the Madina Township by using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire to determine community coverage of the scheme. RESULTS: The study showed membership coverage of 21.8% and community coverage of 22.2%. The main reasons why respondents had not registered with the scheme are that contributions are high and it does not offer the services needed. Financially, the scheme depended largely on subsidies and reinsurance from the National Health Insurance Authority for 89.8% of its revenue. Approximately 92% of the total revenue was spent on medical claims, and 99% of provider claims were settled beyond the stipulated 4-week period. CONCLUSIONS: There is an increasing trend in medical claims expenditure and lengthy delay in claims settlements, with most of them being paid beyond the mandatory 4-week period. Introduction of cost-containment measures including co-payment and capitation payment mechanism would be necessary to reduce the escalating cost of medical claims. Adherence to the 4-week stipulated period for payment of medical claims would be important to ensure that health care providers are financially resourced to deliver continuous health services to insured members. Furthermore, resourcing the scheme would be useful for speedy vetting of claims and also, community education on the National Health Insurance Scheme to improve membership coverage and revenue from the informal sector.