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Mr Baba Jamal, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, at the weekend reiterated the commitment of government to implement a universal Health Insurance Scheme to reflect contributions to the scheme. He said the system sought to guarantee access to free health care in all public health institutions and allow one time premium payment for registration. Mr Jamal was addressing a strategic seminar for health insurance scheme managers in Koforidua to review the activities of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region. He said government had contracted Atubuga and Atubuga Associates, a legal consultancy firm to come out with a draft policy and legislative proposals for reforms of the NHIS. Mr Jamal observed that the provision of Health Insurance under Act 650 had registered some success and also addressed a number of challenges, adding "but there are undoubtedly, many shortcomings in the law and its implementation, making it very necessary for a full legislative overhauling of the Act". He said most of the problems and challenges could be traced to the institutional frame work of the district mutual health insurance schemes as provided by the act. "A typical example is the fact that district mutual health insurance schemes depend on the National Health Insurance Authority for a chunk of their funding." Mr Jamal said not withstanding, the district mutual health insurance schemes assert their operational autonomy in matters relating to accountability to the authority for funds received and general over sight responsibilities. He said another challenge confronting the scheme was that huge amount of claims remained unprocessed and unpaid by several schemes for years. "In view of this, many service providers deny clients services when claims remain unpaid for some time. Again, the scheme is inundated with fraudulent claims and increasing financial impropriety." Mr Jamal said it was in view of these shortcomings that the ruling National Democratic Congress intended to promulgate a new National Health Insurance law, which aimed at providing new administrative, institutional and operational frameworks to provide solutions to the mirage of problems. Mr Alex Asamoah, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive the scheme managers to tackle the dubious claims and mounting debts facing the scheme.