By Eugene Davis
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) says it will go ahead to implement the recommendations of the technical sub-committee on the review and re-structuring of the entire NHIS, with GH¢0.18m allocated towards it.
This was contained in the report of the National Health Insurance Fund Allocation Formula 2023, which reveals that “in 2023, we intend to implement the recommendations of the technical sub-committee on the review and re-structuring of the entire NHIS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
An actuarial study of the recommendations of the technical committee was undertaken in 2019. A total of GH¢ 0.18m has been allocated towards this end.
The report also indicates that the Authority will continue to contribute towards programmes aimed at ensuring social and environmental sustainability, with an amount of GH¢23.00m earmarked to cater for this move.
As part of the digitisation agenda of the Authority and the government, it intends to support the policy on electronic pharmacy to improve healthcare, with an allocation of GH¢1.65m earmarked.
The NHIA requires a new Data Centre redesigned for high service availability and an improved IT staff workspace, with GH¢5.91m earmarked for its construction. The Data Centre also hosts other health information systems for health sector.
The strategic intent of the Authority as captured in the Medium Term-Strategic Plan, 2022-2025 is the position of the NHIS as preferred financing mechanism for reducing financial barriers to health care in Ghana, through a social health insurance scheme.
The strategic objectives of the Authority include: improve the membership benefit package informed by actuarial projections and sustainable financing, enhance operations of the scheme, fuse a viable, preventive insurance model into the current curative model, increase participation of private health insurance schemes and ensure human resource development and harmonization.
The premium from informal sector is budgeted at GH¢126.87m. This represents an average premium of GH¢18.00 approximately per member for projected membership of 7,048,475 expected to register and renew within the year 2023 from the informal sector.
The Authority expects to receive an amount GH¢12.46m to the USAID in the year 2023. The funding which is expected to cover the period from 2023 – 2027 in support of clinical audit, stakeholder consultations, tools for internal and external audit, collaboration with Ghana Health Services among others.
The report further highlights registration coverage, noting that the population of Ghana in 2022 was estimated at 31.45million, but in 2023, it is projected to be 32.08m. Current registration figures for the period ending December 30,2022 indicates an active membership of 18.27m, constituting approximately 56.95percent of the projected population of 2022.
The Authority plans to intensify efforts through membership drive and policy reforms to encourage enrolment and renewal of membership. They project that 60percent of the projected population or 19.25m will constitute active membership of the NHIS in 2023.
