The government is considering the option of using part of the country’s oil revenue for the intended one-time premium payment of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Vice-President, John Dramani Mahama has announced.

He said considering the critical role of good health of the citizens in national development, there was the need to explore innovative options to sustain healthcare financing in the country. Opening the 10th annual public lecture of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in Accra yesterday, Mr. Mahama said it was the decision to find new and innovative ways of financing universal access to healthcare that informed the government’s commitment to implement the onetime premium payment.
The annual lecture was on the theme: National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS): Opening Dialogue for Universal Coverage. The Vice-President disclosed that the Cabinet had referred proposals for the one-time premium payment to its subcommittee for consideration.

The one-time premium payment has remained one of the cardinal objectives of the government and the effort to explore the avenues of using part of the oil revenue is consistent with the government’s determination to achieve that objective. Since its inception in 2004, the Health Insurance Scheme, which is managed by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has become the source of funding for health care for many Ghanaians. The NHIS has also grown in various aspects of its operation, and is perceived as a model social health insurance scheme in Africa and beyond.

Beginning with a membership of 1.3million in 2004, the scheme now has a database of more than 15.5 million registered members representing more than 50 per cent of the population. Member utilization rates grew exponentially from 9.9 million in 2008 to 17.6 million in 2009, representing a 75 per cent increase.
Mr. Mahama said the government was of the belief that for a comprehensive exposition and analysis of challenges facing the NHIS, it was useful exercise not only to ensure transparency but also strengthen the scheme in order that it could provide the expected service to the people.

Source: Daily Graphic