ANSG Sanctions 2 Hospitals For Mandating Extra Money From ASHIA Enrollees  

The Anambra State Government has condemned in its entirety what it sees as exploitation of enrollees of the State Health Insurance Scheme by some hospitals in the state. Managing Director of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Simeon Beluonwu Onyemaechi, who expressed government’s position on the matter while speaking exclusively with our correspondent in his office in Awka,  stressed that government indeed frowned on the development because it is not owing any hospital under the scheme. Onyemaechi, who disclosed that the State Government has sanctioned two hospitals this year for demanding extra money from ASHIA patients for services covered by the health insurance scheme, maintained that government has never defaulted in the payment of capitation to hospitals rendering services to ASHIA enrollees. He was however worried that in spite of all the sensitisation efforts in both social and traditional media, people are still being exploited by some hospitals under the scheme. He said the agency has persistently advised enrollees of the health insurance scheme to always report cases of exploitation through the phone numbers on the cards given to them upon registration as well as other feedback mechanism available to them to enable the agency to seek redress on their behalf. The ASHIA boss noted that the agency does not hesitate to delist health facilities involved in the exploitation and maltreatment of beneficiaries of the State Health Insurance Scheme, adding that the agency has delisted two hospitals this year for demanding extra charges for treatment of ailments covered by ASHIA.