Dr Victor Bampoe, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has announced that coverage under Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has increased from 57% to 66% by 2025.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, April 14, Dr. Bampoe stated that President John Dramani Mahama’s government was responsible for the advancements.
“The NHIS, at the time we took office, the coverage was 57%; last year, 2025, we pushed it to 66%. But it means 34% of Ghanaians are not covered,” he stated.
He emphasised the financial strain on homes by pointing out that patients still bear a large share of the cost of healthcare.
“Thirty per cent of all the spending in the healthcare setting is actually out of pocket,” he continued.
Dr. Bampoe’s comments coincide with the government’s plans to implement its Free Primary Healthcare policy, which aims to increase the nation’s access to basic healthcare services.
With a focus on preventative and promotional care, the strategy will target services provided at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centers, and polyclinics.
In order to offer fair access to healthcare and to replace the “cash-and-carry” system, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIS) was established in 2003.
It has developed into a key component of Ghana’s healthcare finance system throughout time, encompassing a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient services.
Notwithstanding these improvements, the program still has issues with finance, claim payment delays, and coverage gaps, especially among workers in the unorganised sector.
By lowering out-of-pocket expenses and increasing access to necessary services, particularly at the community level, the government anticipates that the Free Primary Healthcare program would supplement the NHIS.
Source: newsthemegh.com