Abstract
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana was established by the National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) and National Health Insurance Regulations, 2004 (L.I. 1809) with the view to improving financial access of Ghanaians, especially the poor and the vulnerable, to quality basic health care services and to limit out-of-pocket payments at the point of service delivery. This study is to assess the effect of the Scheme on access to and utilization of healthcare services in the Akatsi District of the Volta region of Ghana. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected through face-to-face interview with 320 individuals and three service providers using structured questionnaires. The result show that age, level of education and occupation are major determinants of membership of the scheme. The scheme has a positive effect on health seeking behaviour and utilization of health care services by removing significant financial barriers to access. Lack of health insurance serves as a significant barrier to access to modern health care services. Increasing coverage and membership coupled with improvement in geographical access will promote better and overall health outcomes for the people of Ghana.
Highlights
Characteristics Insured(N=247) Non-Insured (N=74) n (%) n (%) Total (%) P-value Sex Male 110(34.4) 37(11.6) Female 137(42.8) 36(11.3)
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana was established by the National Health Insurance Act, 2003 (Act 650) and National Health Insurance Regulations, 2004 (L.I. 1809) with the view to improving financial access of Ghanaians, especially the poor and the vulnerable, to quality basic health care services and to limit out-of-pocket payments at the point of service delivery
More males (34.3%) attained higher education of secondary and above, than females (21.9%).The informal sector constituted 46.9%, majority of whom are employed in agriculture (21.9%) supporting that fact that the study area is largely rural and agrarian
Summary
The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of the National Health Insurance Scheme on access to and utilization of healthcare services in the Akatsi District of the Volta Region of Ghana and was guided by the following key issues: socio-demographic factors that influence membership; the reasons for joining and barriers to joining the scheme, effect of the scheme on health seeking behaviour and utilization of healthcare service and general views and perceptions about the scheme
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