Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is vital to ensuring affordable healthcare for millions.
However, many subscribers lose access to care simply because they forget to renew their NHIS cards.
Often, they only realise their cards have expired when seeking treatment, usually during emergencies.
This can lead to service denial, unexpected out-of-pocket payments, or delayed treatment, which puts lives at risk.
A real-life example
Isabela was scheduled for thyroid surgery at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on July 16, 2025.
She had used her NHIS card for all her previous appointments.
But on the day of surgery, she was told her card had expired two weeks earlier.
After renewing, she was informed that the card would only become active after 30 days.
Unable to afford the full cost, she was forced to postpone the surgery.
The question is, what good is the 30-day serving? It a penalty for late renewal?
Is it a punishment or is it a motivation?
I feel it only puts the lives of these subscribers at risk as in the case of Isabela.
Why reminders matter
Reminding subscribers of renewal deadlines is not just a customer service measure; it’s a public health necessity.
Regular reminders will ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare services, especially for children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses.
It will also increase public confidence in the scheme, reducing the perception that the system is unreliable, thereby improving the NHIS enrolment data accuracy, as active members can be better tracked and served.
Learning from others
Many countries and companies have integrated reminder systems as part of their client engagement strategies.
For instance, India’s Ayushman Bharat health scheme sends automated SMS reminders to beneficiaries weeks before expiry to ensure continuous coverage.
In the same way, Kenya’s National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) uses text alerts and emails to prompt members about renewal deadlines.
Private insurers like Bupa (UK) and Discovery Health (South Africa) also send renewal alerts and notifications via mobile apps, SMS, and email, minimising customer lapses.
In fact, MTN Ghana and Vodafone regularly send reminders to customers about data and airtime expiry, demonstrating how digital reminders can be effective even in low-resource settings.
A call to action
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) must consider implementing an automated reminder system using SMS, voice calls, or WhatsApp alerts.
With mobile phone penetration exceeding 95% in Ghana, this approach is feasible and affordable.
Additionally, I belief collaborating with telecom providers in Ghana could facilitate free health insurance expiry notifications, similar to how banks send alerts for ATM card expiry or utility companies send billing reminders.
Conclusion
A simple reminder could prevent the heartbreak of being turned away at a hospital. As Ghana pushes toward Universal Health Coverage, the NHIS must evolve to meet the expectations and needs of its users.
Proactive communication, starting with expiry reminders, is an essential step toward a healthier, more efficient healthcare system.
We must never forget that the majority of those who depend on NHIS are the uneducated, the low-income earners and children.
Most of the rich, on the other hand, wouldn’t depend on NHIS to seek health care. Together, let us improve NHIS. Long live Ghana, long live NHIS.
By OPOKU PAUL KWAME
