Health insurance premium remains the same (page 3)

26-01-2009
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the yearly premium to be paid under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) remains between GH¢7.20 and GH¢48, not GH¢150 as is being speculated.
According to the NHIA, there had been no upward adjustment in the premium since the introduction of the scheme in 2004.
This was made known by the Media Relations Manager of the NHIA, Mr Kwasi Acquah, in reaction to reports making the rounds that the yearly premium for the NHIS had increased to about GH¢150.
The media relations manager advised the public to ignore such reports, since insurance premiums were determined by the various mutual schemes, in conjunction with the authority, adding that the authority had not effected any such change.
He explained that although the individual district mutual health insurance schemes (DMHIS) were autonomous in their operations, the law did not allow them to take decisions concerning premiums on their own but that they had to liaise with the authority on such an important issue.
Article 34 (1) of the National Health Insurance Act of 2003, Act (650) states, "A person seeking membership of a district mutual health insurance scheme shall as a prior condition for membership pay the membership contribution determined by the scheme in accordance with guidelines provided by the council."
Mr Acquah pointed out the premiums payable under the NHIS were fixed with different social groupings in mind, adding that people paid according to their economic status.
In one of its educational materials, the NHIA has enumerated the different contributions payable by the various social groupings and states that adults who are unemployed and do not receive any identifiable and constant support from elsewhere for survival are considered "core poor" and are, therefore, offered free services under the scheme.
It adds that adults who are unemployed but receive identifiable and constant financial support from sources of income are considered "very poor" and are made to pay GH¢7.20 per year.
Another group of people who also have to pay GH¢7.20 are adults who are employed but receive low returns for their efforts and are unable to meet their basic needs. They are considered "poor" under the NHIS.
Under the scheme, adults who are employed and are able to meet their basic needs are considered "middle income" earners and have to pay GH¢18 per year as premium.
The rich are "adults who are able to meet their basic needs and some of their wants" and they are expected to pay GH¢48, just as adults who are able to meet their basic needs and most of their wants. This group of people is considered "very rich".