NHIA free elderly care policy takes effect

NHIA free elderly care policy applies

The underlying health conditions of the elderly in all walks of life have been complicated by the global outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Appreciating that the elderly deserve maximum health and reassurance, the Ghana Government has activated a national program known as ‘Free Elderly Care Policy.’

This rapid health policy, which is part of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced on December 9, 2022, to address the many health-related challenges faced by the elderly.

This means that the government is giving greater priority to covering the health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana, especially those aged 70 years and above.

With the support of the Ministry of Health, the NHIA Governing Council initiated the policy directive, following the successful launch of a digital platform dubbed, ‘MyNHIS.’

In order to implement the policy, the President of the Republic, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo approved the policy as per the offer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

The President’s approval signals the strong political leadership needed to make the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda a success.

The policy guarantees exemption from the mandatory 30-day waiting period and exemption from premium payment and processing, as a member of the Scheme.

The drive reinforces Ghana’s goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, riding on the NHIS.

Universal Health Coverage is built on the foundation of equality and the right to quality and affordable health services, regardless of people’s geographic location.

Impact

The policy provides special, specialized, and comprehensive health care for the elderly in addition to the government’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program.

This makes it important to address health care related issues, which can improve the life expectancy ratio of the elderly in Ghana.

Since its inception, members of the Scheme aged 70 years and above have been exempted from paying “premium” or contributions.

For those above 70 years of age to register for NHIS or renew their membership, it only requires a processing fee of Ghc8 for registration and Ghc5 for renewal.

NHIA’s Digitization Spirit

NHIA is using the national digitization drive to shift from paper to a paperless regime. The Authority is constantly building strong homegrown innovations to save revenue and improve efficiency.

The latest innovation-MyNHIS application

By the end of 2022, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will strategically introduce an online registration platform called, “My NHIS.”

As a convenient mobile Application solution, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia officially announced the App so that citizens in Ghana and beyond can use their Ghana card and register for NHIS at their convenience.

The APP operates on Android and iOS smartphones and will issue digital NHIS cards and provide a mechanism for NHIA to fulfill its legal obligations.

Like the NHIS Mobile Update platform, people can sit anywhere and use any mobile phone to register for NHIS.

Note

The app allows corporate clients and other citizens to use their Ghana Card to register for NHIS without having to visit NHIA district offices for the same service.

The new app gives you the power to pay registration fees and renew membership securely from your mobile wallet, Bank card, and other payment platforms.

Most importantly, these innovations provide a better renewal experience for NHIS members as they save time and money, making the Scheme more accessible to all citizens in Ghana and beyond.

It is imperative that Ghanaians at home and abroad will take advantage of the new App to save time, and money, add a higher level of convenience, eliminate data entry errors, and increase efficiency.

NHIS Journey So far

The NHIS was introduced in 2003 by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by John Agyekum Kufuor and can boast of more than 17 million active members representing almost 55 percent of the total population of Ghana by the end of 2022.

The scheme was launched to promote access to equitable and quality healthcare for all citizens in Ghana and beyond.

As a pro-poor social intervention program, the main objective of the Scheme is to increase affordability and accessibility to quality health services, especially among the poor and most vulnerable populations.

Since its inception, there has been an exponential increase in the health-seeking behavior of the population, as more people seek medical treatment early and avoid unnecessary damage to their medical conditions.

Expansion of Benefit Package

The ever-expanding Scheme’s inclusive Benefit Package covers 95 per cent of recorded disease conditions in Ghana.

The latest inclusions are four major childhood cancers, family planning, and a special breast cancer treatment drug called Herceptin.

Recent financial reforms including prompt payment of Claims to health providers in recent times have increased public confidence in the Scheme.

NHIS is managed by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), headquartered in Accra, and has sixteen (16) administrative regional offices, 175 district offices and four (4) Claims Processing Centers (CPC) and has contracts with more than four thousand ( 4,000 ) public, private, and trust-based health service providers.

In collaboration with the National Identification Authority (NIA) and as part of the government’s digital drive, NHIA is seeking the use of Ghana cards by NHIS members to access healthcare.

Therefore, NHIS and Ghanaian card holders should do the merge by dialing the short code *929# or do it on the MyNHIS App.

The NHIS is the vehicle and pathway through which Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is implemented. NHIA’s Governing Council and Executive Management have now shown that they are committed to the agenda.

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