The Ministry of Health has urged the public to disregard any information suggesting the mandatory health insurance policy for non-Ghanaian resident visitors has been finalized.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Dr. Ben Okoe Boye clarified that the policy is not from government, but a proposal from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) yet to be discussed and approved by the cabinet.
It should be noted that during the media briefing last week to outline the policy’s details, Dr. Isaac Morrison, Vice Chairman of the Technical Working Group on the Visitors Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) and a member of the NHIA Board said non-resident visitors arriving in Ghana will be required to have a health insurance policy starting July 1, 2024.
Dr. Isaac Morrison noted that lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a health insurance policy for non-Ghanaian residents as the country had no insurance in place for them to cater for those who fell ill during the pandemic.
However, the minister of health explained that the policy is yet to be finalized as the cabinet has yet to approve mandatory health insurance for non-resident visitors, which is expected to begin on July 1.
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Source: Aba Aikins/ATLFMNEWS