Okoe Boye clarifies compulsory health insurance for foreign nationals

The Ministry of Health has clarified that the recent announcement regarding a mandatory health insurance policy for non-Ghanaian residents visitors is a proposal by the National Health Insurance Scheme and not a policy by the government.

A statement from the Ministry and signed by the Minister of Health, Dr Okoe Boye indicated that even though the proposal by the NHIA is to ensure that foreign nationals have easy access to healthcare, it has not been discussed or approved by cabinet.

The statement urged the general public to disregard the misinformation that may suggest that the policy has been finalized and its mode of implementation settled.

Adding that the implementation of the proposal will be thoroughly scrutinized and taken through the necessary protocols to establish its benefits for the people of Ghana before being settled on.

Meanwhile the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Dacosta Aboagye has also in a Facebook post debunked the authenticity of the policy earlier announced.

His post reads, “Please disregard the misinformation on the costings of foreign visitors insurance ranging from $45 to $270. No decision has been taken by NHIA Executive Management nor the Board on the way forward of this National Non-resident Visitors Health Insurance policy developed in 2023 and launched in February 2024, before my assumption of office.

“I am also yet to receive any report by any committee that was set up before my assumption of office on this policy, and if any, the details. Though the NHIA Act 852 mandates NHIA to make sure non-residents have health insurance, the Authority has not yet worked out any details of such implementation.

“In any case, the implementation will need cabinet and parliamentary approvals aside stakeholder engagements. Such proposal will also require an opinion from the Attorney General. The start date of  1st July 2024 is  False and I have no idea of such proposed date.”