Value and Service Quality Assessment of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana: Evidence from Ashiedu Keteke District

BackgroundGhana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 to provide financial access to health care for all residents.ObjectivesThis article analyzed claims reimbursement data of the NHIS to assess the value of the benefit package to the insured and responsiveness of the service to the financial needs of health services providers.MethodsMedical claims data reported between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, were retrieved from the database of Ashiedu Keteke District Office of the National Health Insurance Authority. The incurred claims ratio, promptness of claims settlements, and claims adjustment rate were analyzed over the 5-year period.ResultsIn all, 644,663 medical claims with a cost of Ghana cedi (GHS) 11.8 million (US $3.1 million) were reported over the study period. The ratio of claims cost to contributions paid increased from 4.3 to 7.2 over the 2011-2013 period, and dropped to 5.0 in 2014. The proportion of claims settled beyond 90 days also increased from 26% to 100% between 2011 and 2014. Generally, the amount of claims adjusted was low; however, it increased consistently from 1% to about 4% over the 2011-2014 period. The reasons for claims adjustments included provision of services to ineligible members, overbilling of services, and misapplication of diagnosis related groups.ConclusionsThere is increased value of the NHIS benefit package to subscribers; however, the scheme’s responsiveness to the financial needs of health services providers is low. This calls for a review of the NHIS policy to improve financial viability and service quality.