NHIS to enrol four million subscribers

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is on course to enrol four million subscribers by December 2020.

The Authority which now has over 12 million members, says it was embarking on a membership drive which involved awareness creation and mobilisation.

Mr Elliot Asante, Accra Regional Operations Manager, disclosed to the media during a health walk and float through the principal streets of Ayawaso and Okaikoi districts in the Greater Accra Region as part of its one-week celebration.

The float was part of the week's celebration activities of the NHIS, which took off on Monday.

He explained that as part of the week-long activities, there would be a special registration exercise of which members would have their cards instantly activated.

The usual one month waiting period would be waived off for both new registrants and renewals, he added.

Mr Asante explained that there would be instant activation of membership and those who would join as new members for the period.

The Regional Operations Manager said there would be aggressive registration and renewal in densely populated areas to get more people on the Scheme's dashboard.

He stated that the NHIS could be synchronized with the National Identification Authority Card, saying that all could be done on the mobile phone with the shortcode *929#.

Mrs Lydia Adjei-Tutu, Greater Accra Regional Public Relations Officer, said Ghana was going digital, so as the NHIS, as it had added another digital system to the platform.

Among the events for the week celebration which started with a launch, are floats across the country, talk shows and thanksgiving service with onsite registration.

The NHIS is a social intervention mechanism introduced by the government to provide access to quality healthcare for all residents in Ghana and those who are on a visit to the country.

It is funded by NHIS Levy on goods and services under VAT, 2.5 percent on an individual's contributions to the Basic Social Security Scheme.

Membership includes formal sector employees, self-employed, persons under pregnant women, persons with a mental disorder, pensioners of SSNIT and persons prescribed by the Minister of Health or Minister of Social Welfare as indigents.