The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will, in the event of a National Democratic Congress (NDC) victory in the presidential poll later this year, witness increased funding to prolong its existence, President John Mahama has assured.
Since its conception in 2003, the scheme has been funded with 2.5% of Value Added Tax (VAT) and social security contributions of workers.
However, Mr Mahama, speaking at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra as he presented highlights of the NDC’s 2016 manifesto on Tuesday, September 13, said an extra source of funding for the NHIS was necessary to consolidate the scheme which had been projected to last for only a few years.
“Based on the funding sources that had been identified, the National Health Insurance [Scheme] [was to] last only a certain number of years. We have long since passed that period that was designated,” he recounted to party faithful.
“And so, it means that we need to rework the sustainability of the National Health Insurance [Scheme]. And so we are going to look for funding for the National Health Insurance [Scheme] beyond the VAT…workers contributions and…premiums. Those are the main sources of funding currently.
“…In the next four years, my proposal is that a percentage of the annual budget funding amount that comes from petroleum revenues should be assigned to the National Health Insurance [Scheme] to prolong the life of the scheme.
“And it’s not only to prolong the life of the scheme; we are also making it more efficient – we are taking out the fraud, we are introducing more computerisation, bringing in new claim centres and all that.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
