Healthcare Back on Track: Gov’t Unlocks GH¢4bn to Restore Trust in Health Insurance Scheme
Ghana’s National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is set for its biggest cash injection in years as government moves to uncap its funding, unlocking an additional GH¢4 billion to strengthen the nation’s healthcare delivery.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, presenting the 2025 mid-year budget to Parliament, said the measure would clear arrears owed to hospitals, restock essential medicines, secure life-saving vaccines, and sustain free primary healthcare services under the NHIS. The boost also covers a critical funding gap left by the withdrawal of U.S. development agency USAID.
For everyday Ghanaians, the implications are immediate. Delayed NHIS reimbursements have often forced health facilities to turn away cardholders or ask for cash payments upfront. Medicine stockouts have meant parents sometimes buy antibiotics and vaccines from private pharmacies at steep costs, while pregnant women risk interruptions in antenatal care. Clearing these arrears, Dr. Forson said, will restore provider confidence and keep insured patients from being denied care.
“We have taken decisive steps to strengthen healthcare financing,” he told lawmakers, adding that all government transfers to NHIA are now fully current.
The extra funding also guarantees more reliable vaccine supply, critical for immunisation drives that protect children against diseases like measles and polio. For households already battling rising living costs, fewer out-of-pocket expenses mean more money for food, schooling, and other essentials.
Healthcare analysts say the expansion of the Ghana Medical Care Trust (MahamaCares) could further widen access to treatment, especially in underserved rural areas where facilities depend heavily on NHIS reimbursements.
By stabilising NHIA finances, the government hopes to restore trust in the insurance scheme, shielding families from catastrophic medical bills and making healthcare a reliable safety net rather than a financial gamble.
