Government will increase tariffs paid to National Health Insurance Scheme service providers by an average of 120% beginning next year.
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh who announced this at the accountability series press briefing on Monday said the decision responds to longstanding complaints from health facilities about unrealistic payment rates under the scheme.
“The service providers have been complaining that the tariffs we give them are unrealistic. And so government has taken the decision to increase the tariffs about 120% on average. And I believe this is going to be a game changer,” the Minister stated.
The announcement came as Akandoh reported that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares, is now fully operational with a GH₵2.3 billion budget allocation for 2026.
The Minister said the fund established to support patients with non-communicable diseases has passed legislation, inaugurated its board, and set up a functioning secretariat that has started disbursing funds for patient care.
“The bill has been passed into an act. The board has been inaugurated. The secretariat is in full operation. And therefore, they’ve started disbursement for patient’s care at the moment,” Mr Akandoh explained.
He outlined a simple application process where specialist medical doctors apply on behalf of patients, with the secretariat required to respond within 14 days of receiving applications.
The Health Minister said the tariff increase and Mahama Cares funding represent government’s commitment to supporting health service providers and patients dealing with conditions like cancer, hypertension, and diabetes.
“About four out of every death recorded in this country is due to non-communicable diseases. About 4,000 people are diagnosed with cancers every year. One out of every three adults we see in the street is hypertensive. Diabetes is rising,” he said.
He added that the 2026 health budget allocates GH₵34 billion to the sector, representing a 9.4% increase over 2025 and more than 11% of total government expenditure.
The Minister reported improvements in the National Health Insurance Scheme since government uncapped it, with coverage increasing from 18 million people to 20 million, representing 60% of the population, in less than one year.
“Gone were the days where you hear service providers shouting on top of their voices on the rooftop that they were going to withdraw services because they were not receiving payment. And this is no more the case as I speak to you now,” the Minister stated.
He said the scheme now has prompt fund releases, with the CEO sometimes calling service providers to submit their claims for payment.
“Let me put it on record that since the establishment or inception of the National Health Insurance Scheme, no government has been able to pay promptly like we are doing today,” the Minister declared.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
