Implementation Challenges of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Selected Districts in Ghana: Evidence from the Field |
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| Authors: | Adam Fusheini Gordon Marnoch Ann Marie Gray |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Health Policy/MRC Health Policy Research Group, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;2. Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe Campus, Hohoe, Ghana;3. Public Policy, School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, UK;4. Social Policy and Administration, School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, UK |
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| Abstract: | Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme, introduced in 2003, aims to remove financial barriers to health-care access and bridge the inequality gaps in health care. This paper reports on a study of the implementation process in four local government areas in southern and northern Ghana. The paper profiles key institutional actors and draws on qualitative interview data from 33 in-depth interviews. Findings highlight the gaps and challenges that have emerged in the implementation process. Issues of managerial capacity, inadequate and uneven distribution of medical facilities and health-care professionals, cost escalation, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement of providers threaten the sustainability of the scheme. |
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| Keywords: | Accessibility challenge Ghana health insurance implementation |
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