In a transformative move, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has announced the elimination of registration and renewal fees for National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) subscribers who are also contributors to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NHIA Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye disclosed this during a recent interaction with media personnel.
He said the integration of NHIS with SSNIT and NIA has enabled the scrapping of these charges, which have been seen as obstacles to enrolling in the NHIS.
Dr. Da-Costa explained that the fees constituted less than three percent of the scheme’s revenue, and their removal would not adversely affect the financial health of the NHIS.
The NHIA CEO announced that NHIS now automatically enrolls all SSNIT contributors into the scheme and informs them through text messages.
He expressed optimism that this integration, facilitated by the use of Ghana Card Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), would bring significant benefits to both subscribers and the NHIS.
“The use of Ghana Card PINs clears many barriers within the scheme,” Dr. Da-Costa stated, highlighting the opportunity this presents for Ghana to achieve universal health coverage.
He noted that out of the 2.3 million SSNIT contributors, 1.3 million have not registered with the NHIS.
Additionally, another 450,000 SSNIT contributors are registered but rarely use the service, leaving only 650,000 regular NHIS users.
The elimination of the GH₵8 renewal fee is expected to remove a financial burden from subscribers, encouraging continuous engagement with the NHIS.
Dr. Da-Costa emphasized that the automatic renewal process would address the issue of expired memberships, ensuring that subscribers maintain continuous access to essential health services.
This initiative is a significant step towards enhancing healthcare access in Ghana, removing financial and administrative barriers, and promoting universal health coverage.
By leveraging technology and integrating national identification systems, the NHIA aims to improve health outcomes and ensure that more Ghanaians benefit from the NHIS.
