A Research, Advocacy and Public Policy Think Tank, Known as CUTS Ghana, in partnership with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), has commissioned a study on National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The study is aimed at understanding the issues confronting subscribers of the National Health Insurance Scheme in order to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and payment of illegal fees to health workers.

According to a letter issued by the Communication Officer at CUTS Ghana, Mr Shadrack Nii Yarboi Yartey, “the study, when completed, will produce a diagnostic report which will help develop practical steps in addressing the gaps and challenges limiting the effectiveness of the NHIS in Ghana and advocate for reforms that are aimed at addressing the identified challenges.”

The letter also indicated that field research will be conducted to explore and understand challenges confronting the Scheme from the subscriber’s perspective. Stakeholders on the other hand will be engaged to help address the results obtained from the field research.

“Having generated evidence-based findings from the research, CUTS and its partners which includes Ghana Health Coalition and other organisations will engage duty bearers such as Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other relevant stakeholder institutions to address why scheme subscribers are sometimes overly exposed to out-of-pocket expenses whenever they visit health facilities,” a part of the letter stated.

Additionally, the outfit will partner with the Ghana Health Service and NHIA to develop an NHIS Subscribers Charter that would be displayed at all health facilities providing the services and entitlement of subscribers to the scheme.

At the end, the entire study will generate the body of evidence that would be required to help improve the country’s general healthcare delivery system and the Scheme.

See full letter below: