The Anambra State Government has recently taken decisive action against two hospitals accused of extorting enrollees of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA).
Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi, the Managing Director of ASHIA, expressed his concern and disappointment that patients under the health insurance scheme were being subjected to exploitation. He emphasized that the government had fulfilled its financial obligations to the hospitals providing services to ASHIA enrollees and condemned any attempts to extort extra money from patients for covered services.
According to Dr. Onyemaechi, “We have sanctioned two hospitals this year for demanding extra money from ASHIA patients for services covered by the health insurance scheme. The government has never defaulted in the payment of capitation to hospitals rendering services to ASHIA enrollees. We are worried that in spite of all the sensitization efforts on both social and traditional media, people are still being exploited by some hospitals under the scheme.”
ASHIA, which was established by the Anambra State Government under the leadership of Governor Willie Obiano, serves as a platform to provide healthcare access to the citizens of the state. Initially targeted at state government employees, the scheme was later expanded to include private individuals as well.
Dr. Onyemaechi, who has been the managing director since its inception, emphasized that ASHIA has consistently encouraged enrollees to report cases of exploitation through the provided phone numbers. He further stated, “We will not hesitate to delist health facilities involved in the exploitation and maltreatment of beneficiaries of the State Health Insurance Scheme. We have already delisted two hospitals this year for demanding extra charges for treatments covered by ASHIA.”
