NHIS robbing the poor for the rich – Report

A latest report by SEND-Ghana has uncovered that the poor is being shortchanged in the premium payment on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The premium which varies according to one's economic condition is literally robbing the poor for the rich, the report stated.

The survey conducted between 2012 and 2013 highlights that most of the people covered under the scheme as poor are not, per the definition of the Ghana Statistical Service.

The report was titled “Is the National Health Insurance Scheme Pro-Poor?”

Programmes Officer at the NGO, Adamu Mukaila says the trend must be changed

“Our research shows that in the Upper West region, 45 percent of the population is poor, and this means that even feeding is a problem but 14 percent have been registered on the NHIS scheme. This means that 31 percent of those who cannot feed themselves have not been registered,” he said.

“We are now made to pay the same premium no matter your economic conditions and we are subsidizing for the rich, those who can pay more are forced to pay less because there is a flat rate for all of them to pay.”