Ghana Health Insurance (nhis) Guide, Renewal Charges and Price List

Ghana Health Insurance (nhis) Guide, Renewal Charges and Price List

Ghana Health Insurance (The National Health Insurance Scheme) came into being in 2003, during the reign of President John Kufuor.

The scheme aims at ensuring that Ghanaian citizens receive high-quality health care, regardless of whether they have enough cash to pay upfront or not. Previously, some individuals would not receive medical treatment due to financial instability.

Governed, licenced and managed by the Ghana National Health Insurance Authority, Ghanaians should trust that the Government is committed to ensuring that all residents are treated equally regardless of their monetary capabilities.

 

Below is an in-depth review of Ghana’s health insurance:

As hinted above, health insurance in Ghana was formed to ensure that citizens made a contribution that would be used when they visited hospitals in search of medical care.

Three schemes were formed in response to this as below:

• The National Health Insurance Scheme
• The Private Mutual Health Insurance Scheme
• The Private Commercial Health Insurance Scheme

The government’s aim was and is to ensure that the existence of these schemes changed the health sector as below:

1. All citizens should have equal access to good health services, regardless of whether they’re wealthy or not.
2. Even as the country moves from a system where only those with money were assured of good health care, the new schemes should also be made affordable for everyone. There is no point in moving from one expensive option to an even more expensive one.
3. A sustainable health funding option that wouldn’t die in a short while, bringing back the country to where it was before introduction of the NHIS policy.
4. High quality health care should be maintained regardless, and the transformation to the new funding system shouldn’t be a reason for citizens to receive substandard services.

The NHIS is funded as below:

• Allocations by the government which are approved by the parliament.
• Donations by willing individuals and organizations.
• 5% of all the cash that’s collected from the contribution by workers to the SSNIT.
• A levy of 2.5% on various goods and services.

 

NHIS Membership and registration

All citizens must register with NHIS with an exception to those in the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, or anyone with proof that they hold a health insurance policy.

All members who are eligible to be contributors to the fund must contribute GH₵ 7.2 per year. Members who are exempted from paying include:

• People aged 70 years and above.
• Under Act 650 and LI 1809, people categorized as indigent.
• People aged below 18 years, where one parent is paying is exempt from paying or is paying the membership fee.
• Those who contribute to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust or enjoy pension benefits from the same.

 

The registration process is comprised of the following steps:

1. Filling in personal details such as names, age, and marital status.
2. Having your photo and biometric information taken by the registration officer.
3. Choosing your Preferred Primary Provider (PPP) – this should be a hospital, clinic, or any other provider that can offer medical attention when needed. You can always choose a different provider later, in case the first one lacks the expertise to satisfy your medical needs.
4. A list of health facilities that operate under NHIS will be provided to you by the district office so that you decide the most appropriate one.

Read Also Nhis Ghana Registration Guide, Login, Renewal Process

 

NHIS Charges

For exempt members, the annual renewal fee is GH₵ 5, while the processing fee for new members is GH₵ 8. On the other hand, non-exempt members pay a premium and processing fee of GH₵ 30 per year.

Also, note that premiums are sent to be a minimum of GH₵ 48 and a maximum of GH₵ 7.2. Below is the process to renew one’s membership:

1. Dial *929#.
2. Choose option 2.
3. Choose NHIS card.
4. Input the card number (8 digits).
5. Click send.
6. Follow the prompts to pay.

 

NHIS Contacts

For more information about Ghana Health Insurance (NHIS), you can reach out to the NHIS customer service team by dialling, 054-444-6447 or 030-274-6447 or send an email to [email protected].