NHIA mandatory health insurance for non-resident visitors not yet approved – Dr Okoe Boye clarifies
The ministry of health clarified that the recent announcement is a proposal from the NHIA and not an approved policy of government yet.
The Minister for Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, has, in an official statement, clarified that the mandatory health insurance policy for non-resident visitors is a proposal by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which is yet to be discussed by cabinet before it is approved.
Various social and mainstream media outlets have been publishing that “From 1 July 2024, foreign nationals who arrive in Ghana will have to take up a compulsory health insurance policy of between $45 and $270 before being admitted into Ghana.”
However, in a press release dated Tuesday, 18 June 2024 and signed by the Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe, the Ministry of Health clarified that ‘the recent announcement regarding mandatory health insurance policy for non-resident visitors is a proposal from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and not a policy of government.”
“While the proposal aims to ensure that foreign nationals have access to healthcare during their stay in Ghana, it is important to note that it has not yet been discussed or approved by Cabinet. We urge the public to disregard any misinformation that may suggest that the policy has been finalized and its mode of implementation settled,” the statement by the Health Minister read.
“We assure the public that any policy and its implementation shall be thoroughly scrutinized and taken through all necessary protocols to establish its benefits for the people of Ghana before being settled on,” the Health Minister’s statement further read
The NHIA
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was established under the National Health Insurance Act 2003, Act 650, as a body corporate, with perpetual succession, an Official Seal, that may sue and be sued in its own name.
The object of the Authority is to attain universal health insurance coverage in relation to; persons resident in the country, persons not resident in the country but who are on a visit to this country and to provide access to healthcare services to the persons covered by the Scheme.
The object of the Authority is to secure the implementation of a national health insurance policy that ensures access to basic healthcare services to all residents.The vision of the NHIA is to be a model of a sustainable, progressive and equitable national health insurance scheme in Africa and beyond.
The NHIA’s overarching mission is to provide financial risk protection against the cost of quality health care for all residents in Ghana and to delight our members and other stakeholders with an enthusiastic, motivated and empathetic professional staff who share the values of honesty and accountability in partnership with all stakeholders.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
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