Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme: Helping the Poor or Leaving Them Behind?

Jenna Dixon, Eric Y Tenkorang and Isaac Luginaah
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Jenna Dixon: Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada
Eric Y Tenkorang: Department of Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's Newfoundland, A1C 5S7, Canada
Isaac Luginaah: Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada

Environment and Planning C, 2011, vol. 29, issue 6, 1102-1115

Abstract: We present findings on the determinants of enrolment for Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). With this study we contribute to the literature by providing one of the few quantitative analyses on a nationwide survey. Using data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we find that those from the poorest households remain significantly less likely to enrol in the NHIS compared with respondents from wealthy households, even after controlling for theoretically relevant variables. However, our analysis also shows that respondents in Northern Ghana, considered the poorest part of the country, are more likely to be enroled than those in Southern Ghana. The findings present a clear challenge to the original mandate of the NHIS as a propoor policy and suggest that health policy makers should consider expanding and clarifying the criteria for declaring a person as indigent and that the scheme be further evaluated for obstacles that may be hindering enrolment.

Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirc:v:29:y:2011:i:6:p:1102-1115

DOI: 10.1068/c1119r

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