By Chisom Okafor
The Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr Augustine Ezeka, has cautioned desk officers at accredited healthcare facilities against overbilling and other practices that could exploit enrollees, urging them to uphold transparency, professionalism and accountability.
Dr Ezeka gave the warning during the agency’s quarterly meeting with desk officers on Aug. 14 at the ASHIA headquarters in Awka.
He said the officers, as representatives of ASHIA at their respective healthcare facilities, had a responsibility to protect the reputation of the agency, ensuring that beneficiaries received the services covered by the scheme without unnecessary financial burdens.
“Some of you are indirectly tarnishing the name of the agency we have spent years to establish,” he said, urging the officers not to allow personal interests to undermine the progress made by ASHIA.
Dr Ezeka directed the desk officers to ensure that enrollees were charged in line with the approved drug tariff, stressing that beneficiaries should not be subjected to unauthorised charges while accessing healthcare services.
He called on healthcare providers to give proper attention to enrollees covered under the Global Fund programme, without discrimination or stigmatisation.
According to him, every beneficiary deserves to access healthcare services in an environment where dignity, respect and fairness are upheld.
On pre-authorisation codes, Dr Ezeka advised desk officers to provide accurate and complete diagnoses when submitting requests for approval, explaining that incomplete or incorrect information could lead to denial of requests and unnecessary delays in accessing healthcare services.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the desk officers to discuss ways of improving service delivery, strengthening communication between ASHIA and accredited healthcare facilities.
In their remarks, the officers commended the agency’s leadership for the engagement, pledging to improve their performance, ensuring compliance with approved procedures and help enrollees access the healthcare benefits to which they are entitled.
Chisom Okafor is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
