By Eugene Davis
Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has affirmed that the uncapping of the 2025 distribution formula for the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will significantly expand the scope of diseases covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
His remarks follow Parliament’s approval of the 2025 NHIF distribution formula, designed to ensure equitable allocation of resources across all healthcare levels, in line with the government’s commitment to delivering accessible and affordable healthcare for all Ghanaians.
According to the Committee of the Whole’s report, the NHIA expects to receive GH₵10 billion in 2025—up from GH₵6.8 billion in 2024—to implement key initiatives.
The Minister outlined three priority areas for the additional funds:
Free primary healthcare at CHPS compounds and health centers.
Bridging funding gaps created by the withdrawal of donor support, particularly from USAID.
Mahama Cares (Ghana Medical Trust Fund), to finance healthcare for non-communicable diseases and other chronic conditions not currently covered by NHIS.
On dialysis, Mr. Akandoh noted that the previous GH₵2million allocation and limited support for patients under 18 and over 60 ended in December 2024. The new policy will include dialysis as a core NHIS benefit, akin to coverage for diseases like malaria. In addition, Mahama Cares will cover other chronic conditions excluded from the standard benefits.
Highlighting the urgency of action, the Minister revealed that non-communicable diseases account for 45% of national mortality, stressing the need to build a resilient healthcare system, especially in the face of declining donor support.
The NHIF’s core mandate, as outlined in Act 852, is to finance the healthcare needs of NHIS members. Funds are used to:
Pay for members’ healthcare services.
Cover approved administrative costs of the NHIS.
Facilitate broader access to healthcare services, as determined by the Minister of Health in consultation with the NHIA Board.
In the 2024 fiscal year, GH₵ 6.8 billion was allocated to the Fund, of which GH₵ 5.4 billion was expended by year-end, resulting in a budget variance of GHS 1.4 billion and a budget execution rate of 79.27%.
Established under the National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650), the NHIS aims to provide financial risk protection and access to quality basic healthcare for all residents of Ghana.
