President John Dramani Mahama has directed all health facilities operating under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) not to charge patients co-payments for services covered by the scheme.
Speaking at the Free Primary Healthcare programme at Zuarungu in the Upper East Region, he said the government had reviewed NHIS reimbursement tariffs upward and was ensuring that claims submitted by health facilities were paid on time. He said the measures were intended to ensure health facilities had adequate funds to provide treatment without passing additional costs on to patients.
President Mahama therefore urged NHIS-accredited facilities to comply with the directive and stop demanding additional payments from patients for covered services. The directive follows concerns over illegal top-up charges at some facilities.
Related Stories
The President also linked the policy to efforts to make healthcare more accessible and reduce financial barriers to treatment. The Free Primary Healthcare programme complements the NHIS rather than replacing it.
