The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is a social intervention program which provides financial risk protection against out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure for all residents in Ghana. The scheme is currently operational in all parts of the country.
In 2003, the law establishing the Scheme, National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) was passed to regulate the operation of the NHIS. The law was reviewed in 2012 (Act 852) to make the Scheme more efficient and administratively more robust.
Membership of the NHIS: Growing or dwindling?
Membership of the NHIS has been growing steadily since 2005 when full operations began. About 40,000 people register/renew their membership of the scheme daily. From a membership of 1.3 million people in 2005, the NHIS now has a total of 11.3 million active members across the country (2015), representing 42% of Ghana’s current population. Membership of the Scheme is open to all Ghanaians and legally resident persons in Ghana.
The graph below depicts the scenario;
Utilization of healthcare services under the NHIS
Utilization means the number of times people have used the NHIS card for seeking healthcare within a given period.
In 2015, people visited the health facilities (NHIS-credentialed facilities - hospitals, clinics, health centres, pharmacies etc) 31 million times on account of the Scheme.
This compares to less than 600,000 in 2005. The NHIS has certainly improved access to healthcare by reducing the financial barriers Ghanaians faced in seeking care prior to the NHIS.
The NHIS has also helped to improve the healthcare seeking behavior of residents in Ghana. On average 85,000 hospital attendances are made every day by holders of the NHIS card.
Membership Distribution: Various categories
Patronage of the NHIS is diverse. This ranges from people in the formal and informal sectors and other vulnerable groups.
The scheme has an elaborate exemption policy, where about 70% of its total members do not pay premiums, either as a result of their status of belonging to one vulnerable group (aged, children etc) or another or because they have monthly payroll contributions from their pension fund (Social Security and National Insurance Trust, SSNIT).
In 2014, the NHIS registered 1.5 million indigents onto the Scheme for free underscoring the pro-poor credentials of the program.
The chart below shows the membership distribution of the NHIS in 2015.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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And so what? what do we need these figures and diagram for? Is the scheme not owing service providers? that is the question. Liars, continue propagating falsehood.
when will our public servants stop lying to save the face of this corrupt n incompetent politicians. the fact is that the twelve million subscribers of NHIS are paying top ups at the various hospitals n NHIA is aware of it.
This is a wishy-washy excercise. The most important thing is not the sheer numbers, but the quality of service that one can get by presenting the card at the hospital is the most important thing. Tweaaaaaaaaaa. encover syndrome and slogan is what the card gives to holders at the hospitals. Make we think abi.
Seriously, I don't see any point in this article. It doesn't address any of the challenges facing the NHIA currently.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? Putting up half truths is very unfortunate. The payment of the service providers is the most important part of this life saving scheme but not the enrolment. It's like a man bringing forth to many children and not taking care of them. Which child will be happy with such an irresponsible man? Please stop this half sided incomplete analysis and let's find sustainable mean to save the gasping NHIS
The number of registrants does not mean the NHIS scheme is performing well.There are reports of patients being asked to pay for treatments that should have been taken care of by the scheme.Failure to pay has resulted to patients being refused treatments.Is this something that anyone can say is performing well?.Ghanaians know that the scheme is woefully under performing.
this piece seeks to assure us that the NHIS is working looking at the increased membership drive. Unfortunately, it did not say anything about the fact that facilities have to wait 8-9 months before receiving payment for a particular month ie if service is rendered to a patient today, the facility is most likely to be reimbursed in 9 months. Now, how are the facilities supposed to survive? it is precisely because of this gap that top-ups are charged in health facilities for drugs and services rendered. when the writer has data on this issue, he can come back for further discussion
Yoooo, yate! But we are wise now and above 'ELECTIONS PROPAGANDA' from NDC. State institutions that allow themselves to be used to deceive Ghanaians should tale a clue from the 'DISGRACED GHANA POLICE'. The NDC uses and dumps you. The President after using then to cause confusion at Nana Addo's residence turned around to blame them. SHAME! CHANGE IS COMING!