NHIS contributors to pay 6,000 cedis per month
Government has released about 40.6 billion cedis from the HIPC Fund for the setting-up of the District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes in all the Districts and Sub-Metropolitan Areas in Ghana.
President John Agyekum Kufuor announced this when he launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Accra on Thursday. The theme for the launching was: "National Health Insurance: Protecting The Poor And Putting Health In The Hands Of The People".
President Kufuor said another source of finance for the Scheme was the National Health Insurance Fund that had been set up by the Government to help to bridge the gap between premiums from contributors to the scheme and funding for the poor, who could not pay their premium. Government has decided to access funds from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to establish the Scheme.
President Kufuor, therefore, reiterated Government's pledge to contributors to SSNIT that their contributions remained intact and that their benefits would be paid to them in full when they retired since the State was the guarantor of SSNIT.
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, last year, passed the National Health Insurance Bill.
The Bill puts in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain, at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of service delivery.
Under the Bill, workers who contribute to SSNIT are not to make any further contribution towards the Scheme.
Pensioners are to enjoy minimum benefits under the scheme, while Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service have been excluded. Types of health insurance schemes that could be established and operated in the country are mutual health insurance schemes, social health insurance schemes and private health insurance schemes.
President Kufuor announced that in addition, steps had already been taken to rehabilitate and upgrade some health facilities and reequip them to the required standard to support the Scheme.
He said in addition, a deprived incentive to the tune of about 41 billion cedis had been set up for health workers this year. "This amount will be used as top-ups for health workers who will serve in the deprived and poor areas of the country", he said.
President Kufuor said in the meantime, funds had been released to train an addition 1,200 Ward Assistants by December this year to increase the staff strength of health workers and partially address the problem of nurses leaving the health sector.
He said one area that had caused great anxiety in emergency situations and deserved serious attention was Ghana's ambulance system, which virtually did not exist in many parts of the country.
President Kufuor said to address this problem the Government was providing 60 ambulances nation-wide initially.
He said since the beginning of March 70 people had started training at the Ghana National Fire Service Training Schools to become part of the ambulance crew, adding, " these steps are all being taken to ensure effective health delivery and to support the Scheme nation-wide".
President Kufuor said the launching of the Scheme was a momentous step to implant a safety net within the socio-economic structure of the country to provide affordable health care delivery service to all Ghanaians including the poor and vulnerable.
He asked all and sundry to embrace the Scheme because it provided the only viable alternative to the outdated and rather rigid system of Cash and Carry whose justification was cost recovery and, therefore, purely economic.
"Its rigidity and commercial nature disqualifies most of the people and inflicted humiliation and indignity on them," he said.
Giving statistics on health care delivery, President Kufuor said 80 per cent of ill health and early deaths in Ghana could be classified under three key areas, Infectious and Communicable Diseases, Pregnancy and Childbirth related problems and Accidents.
He said these combined produced the unacceptable 80 per cent figure and unjustifiably afflicted the poor and disadvantaged, who suffered disproportionately, adding that the Scheme would cover all these and other diseases to give human face to the health care delivery system being introduced.
President Kufuor said sustained good health and well-being could only be attained through preventive and promotive practices and the nation must prioritise its attention to the care and maintenance of the individual and communal selves.
He said, "we must pay a renewed and positive attention to our environment and to our nutrition. We must initiate individual lifestyle changes such as taking daily exercise and cutting down on drinking and smoking".
President Kufuor stressed the need for all families to ensure that they paid attention to the immunization of their children against the six childhood diseases and also undertook reproductive health education as the only means to put the nation on the right track to good health and not overburden the Scheme.
However, he said if and when someone did fall ill or suffered an unfortunate accident, money must not be the primary determinant of whether or not he or she had access to health care. "With the scheme in place every Ghanaian should have access to immediate and affordable health care", he said.
Professor Alexander A. Kwapong, Chairman of the Council of State, who chaired the function, said the launching marked a memorable milestone in the history of health care delivery in Ghana. He said the Government's dream of bringing good and affordable health care delivery ultimately to every Ghanaian had at last become a reality.
Professor Kwapong said the task ahead was manageable and well within the reach of the people provided they all joined together and were prepared to work together with a common will, sacrifice and purpose to make the Scheme a lasting success.
The Chairman of the Council of State said he was optimistic that Ghanaians could draw upon and apply the right lessons in the implementation of the Scheme, continuously monitor, evaluate and periodically review the concepts and principles underpinning the development of the Scheme to ensure it could stand the test of time.
He said patients and insurance agents should also desist from acts, which would undermine the scheme.
President Kufuor made the appeal when he launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Accra on Thursday.
The theme for the Launching was " National Health Insurance: Protecting the poor and putting health in the hands of the people". President Kufuor entreated Ghanaians to be alert and monitor the management of the scheme in their various districts "so that they are administered with due diligence and honesty".
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, last year, passed the National Health Insurance Bill.
The Bill sought to put in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain, at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of delivery of service. Under the Bill, workers who contribute to SSNIT are not to make further contribution towards the Scheme.
Pensioners are to enjoy minimum benefits under the scheme, while Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Ghana Police Service have been excluded.
Types of health insurance schemes that could be established and operated in the country are mutual health insurance schemes, social health insurance schemes and private health insurance schemes. President Kufuor said government's objective in establishing the NHIS was to provide an easy way of accessing good quality health care services at an affordable cost.
He appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience and support the scheme since its establishment would be gradual "but eventually, will come to fruition to the benefit of all".
President Kufuor pledged government's full support to the existing schemes that would be transformed into district-wide schemes and said those who wish to remain as private mutual, or private commercials, would also benefit from government's assistance to enable them to grow.
The theme for the launching was "National Health Insurance: Protecting the poor and putting Health in the hands of the people". This amount totalling 72,000 cedis per annum, Dr Afriyie said was about the equivalent of 74,000 cedis per annum for the least paid person in the formal sector based on the 2.5 per cent of workers contribution to the SSNIT.
He said the Government had also decided to take up the cost of treatment for the aged, the poor, the vulnerable and all those under 18 years, provided both parents have paid their annual contributions. Dr Afriyie said the scheme would take at least six months after the launching to get to the districts at their sensitisation stages for contributors to start benefiting.
He noted that over 90 districts and sub-metros were at their various implementation, sensitisation and collection of premium stages whilst others have already started benefiting from the scheme.
The Government in its 2000 Manifesto promised to replace the "cash and carry" system of health financing with the health insurance regime, a more humane system.
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 passed the NHIS Bill, which would put in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of delivery of service. Residents of those areas are required to seek membership of the scheme in the districts in order to obtain the basic health care benefits.
The community based district mutual health insurance scheme concept does not prevent the establishment of private mutual health insurance schemes nor private commercial health insurance schemes
Dr Afriyie said the Ministry of Health was putting together the accreditation tools to be used by the National Health Insurance Council soon to be established to appoint various health institutions that would meet the set quality standards.
He called on Ghanaians to support the scheme by making prompt payment of their contributions for its success and quality health care. Sheikh Ibrahim C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister said the scheme was very important to the socio-economic development of the nation, adding that "it is when the people of the nation are in good health that they could also contribute their quota for better development".
NHIS contributors to pay 6,000 cedis per month
Government has released about 40.6 billion cedis from the HIPC Fund for the setting-up of the District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes in all the Districts and Sub-Metropolitan Areas in Ghana.
President John Agyekum Kufuor announced this when he launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Accra on Thursday. The theme for the launching was: "National Health Insurance: Protecting The Poor And Putting Health In The Hands Of The People".
President Kufuor said another source of finance for the Scheme was the National Health Insurance Fund that had been set up by the Government to help to bridge the gap between premiums from contributors to the scheme and funding for the poor, who could not pay their premium. Government has decided to access funds from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to establish the Scheme.
President Kufuor, therefore, reiterated Government's pledge to contributors to SSNIT that their contributions remained intact and that their benefits would be paid to them in full when they retired since the State was the guarantor of SSNIT.
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, last year, passed the National Health Insurance Bill.
The Bill puts in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain, at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of service delivery.
Under the Bill, workers who contribute to SSNIT are not to make any further contribution towards the Scheme.
Pensioners are to enjoy minimum benefits under the scheme, while Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service have been excluded. Types of health insurance schemes that could be established and operated in the country are mutual health insurance schemes, social health insurance schemes and private health insurance schemes.
President Kufuor announced that in addition, steps had already been taken to rehabilitate and upgrade some health facilities and reequip them to the required standard to support the Scheme.
He said in addition, a deprived incentive to the tune of about 41 billion cedis had been set up for health workers this year. "This amount will be used as top-ups for health workers who will serve in the deprived and poor areas of the country", he said.
President Kufuor said in the meantime, funds had been released to train an addition 1,200 Ward Assistants by December this year to increase the staff strength of health workers and partially address the problem of nurses leaving the health sector.
He said one area that had caused great anxiety in emergency situations and deserved serious attention was Ghana's ambulance system, which virtually did not exist in many parts of the country.
President Kufuor said to address this problem the Government was providing 60 ambulances nation-wide initially.
He said since the beginning of March 70 people had started training at the Ghana National Fire Service Training Schools to become part of the ambulance crew, adding, " these steps are all being taken to ensure effective health delivery and to support the Scheme nation-wide".
President Kufuor said the launching of the Scheme was a momentous step to implant a safety net within the socio-economic structure of the country to provide affordable health care delivery service to all Ghanaians including the poor and vulnerable.
He asked all and sundry to embrace the Scheme because it provided the only viable alternative to the outdated and rather rigid system of Cash and Carry whose justification was cost recovery and, therefore, purely economic.
"Its rigidity and commercial nature disqualifies most of the people and inflicted humiliation and indignity on them," he said.
Giving statistics on health care delivery, President Kufuor said 80 per cent of ill health and early deaths in Ghana could be classified under three key areas, Infectious and Communicable Diseases, Pregnancy and Childbirth related problems and Accidents.
He said these combined produced the unacceptable 80 per cent figure and unjustifiably afflicted the poor and disadvantaged, who suffered disproportionately, adding that the Scheme would cover all these and other diseases to give human face to the health care delivery system being introduced.
President Kufuor said sustained good health and well-being could only be attained through preventive and promotive practices and the nation must prioritise its attention to the care and maintenance of the individual and communal selves.
He said, "we must pay a renewed and positive attention to our environment and to our nutrition. We must initiate individual lifestyle changes such as taking daily exercise and cutting down on drinking and smoking".
President Kufuor stressed the need for all families to ensure that they paid attention to the immunization of their children against the six childhood diseases and also undertook reproductive health education as the only means to put the nation on the right track to good health and not overburden the Scheme.
However, he said if and when someone did fall ill or suffered an unfortunate accident, money must not be the primary determinant of whether or not he or she had access to health care. "With the scheme in place every Ghanaian should have access to immediate and affordable health care", he said.
Professor Alexander A. Kwapong, Chairman of the Council of State, who chaired the function, said the launching marked a memorable milestone in the history of health care delivery in Ghana. He said the Government's dream of bringing good and affordable health care delivery ultimately to every Ghanaian had at last become a reality.
Professor Kwapong said the task ahead was manageable and well within the reach of the people provided they all joined together and were prepared to work together with a common will, sacrifice and purpose to make the Scheme a lasting success.
The Chairman of the Council of State said he was optimistic that Ghanaians could draw upon and apply the right lessons in the implementation of the Scheme, continuously monitor, evaluate and periodically review the concepts and principles underpinning the development of the Scheme to ensure it could stand the test of time.
He said patients and insurance agents should also desist from acts, which would undermine the scheme.
President Kufuor made the appeal when he launched the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Accra on Thursday.
The theme for the Launching was " National Health Insurance: Protecting the poor and putting health in the hands of the people". President Kufuor entreated Ghanaians to be alert and monitor the management of the scheme in their various districts "so that they are administered with due diligence and honesty".
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, last year, passed the National Health Insurance Bill.
The Bill sought to put in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain, at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of delivery of service. Under the Bill, workers who contribute to SSNIT are not to make further contribution towards the Scheme.
Pensioners are to enjoy minimum benefits under the scheme, while Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Ghana Police Service have been excluded.
Types of health insurance schemes that could be established and operated in the country are mutual health insurance schemes, social health insurance schemes and private health insurance schemes. President Kufuor said government's objective in establishing the NHIS was to provide an easy way of accessing good quality health care services at an affordable cost.
He appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience and support the scheme since its establishment would be gradual "but eventually, will come to fruition to the benefit of all".
President Kufuor pledged government's full support to the existing schemes that would be transformed into district-wide schemes and said those who wish to remain as private mutual, or private commercials, would also benefit from government's assistance to enable them to grow.
The theme for the launching was "National Health Insurance: Protecting the poor and putting Health in the hands of the people". This amount totalling 72,000 cedis per annum, Dr Afriyie said was about the equivalent of 74,000 cedis per annum for the least paid person in the formal sector based on the 2.5 per cent of workers contribution to the SSNIT.
He said the Government had also decided to take up the cost of treatment for the aged, the poor, the vulnerable and all those under 18 years, provided both parents have paid their annual contributions. Dr Afriyie said the scheme would take at least six months after the launching to get to the districts at their sensitisation stages for contributors to start benefiting.
He noted that over 90 districts and sub-metros were at their various implementation, sensitisation and collection of premium stages whilst others have already started benefiting from the scheme.
The Government in its 2000 Manifesto promised to replace the "cash and carry" system of health financing with the health insurance regime, a more humane system.
Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 passed the NHIS Bill, which would put in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of delivery of service. Residents of those areas are required to seek membership of the scheme in the districts in order to obtain the basic health care benefits.
The community based district mutual health insurance scheme concept does not prevent the establishment of private mutual health insurance schemes nor private commercial health insurance schemes
Dr Afriyie said the Ministry of Health was putting together the accreditation tools to be used by the National Health Insurance Council soon to be established to appoint various health institutions that would meet the set quality standards.
He called on Ghanaians to support the scheme by making prompt payment of their contributions for its success and quality health care. Sheikh Ibrahim C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister said the scheme was very important to the socio-economic development of the nation, adding that "it is when the people of the nation are in good health that they could also contribute their quota for better development".
He called on all to take keen interest in the scheme and support it for smooth implementation.
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