The Acting Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, says the authority has proposed a 120 per cent rise in service tariffs.
This, he said, is to help stop patients from paying out of pocket at hospitals.
Speaking in a television interview with Channel One TV on Wednesday (Nov 27, 2025), Dr Bampoe said the proposal followed a detailed review by a group of experts.
He added that the law requires the NHIA to review both service and medicine tariffs each year.
The medicines review has been completed, and the service tariffs are now before the NHIA board. After the board’s consideration, the proposal will be sent to the Minister of Health for approval.
He said the current tariffs are not realistic, which is why some patients are still asked to pay at hospitals.
According to him, many service providers attribute the practice to low tariff levels.
“One of the areas of concern… one point in my three-point vision is to make sure patients have a proper experience when they go to hospitals. In many hospitals that is not happening now because they are asked to pay out of pocket. Health providers tell us that we are not paying realistic tariffs, and that is why that is happening. We think that once we pay those tariffs, then there will be no excuse for the health providers to ask patients to put their money in their pockets,” he said.
Dr Bampoe also spoke about the NHIA’s plan to move from a claims payment body to what he described as strategic health purchasing.
He said this approach uses government funding to shape health outcomes and improve service delivery.
“We are a spending entity. We are trying to move away from being a claims payment mechanism to a strategic health purchasing provider, which means we are able to dictate health outcomes because of the financial muscle that government provides us with. We are able to determine the prices of medicines, the prices of services and even go onto the global stage and give some kind of platform to discuss what kind of health outcomes we want,” he said.
He said the proposed rise forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening universal health coverage and improving patients’ experience in the health system.
“The National Health Insurance Scheme… is to pay claims. But now what we are looking at is getting universal health coverage for all Ghanaians. And universal health coverage has three pillars… population coverage, service coverage and financial protection… so that every Ghanaian living everywhere can access quality health care without financial hardship,” he said.
Dr Bampoe said the rise will only take effect after approval by the NHIA board and the Minister of Health.
He added that the aim is to maintain health services in a way that protects patients from out-of-pocket payments.
