Gov’t to Increase NHIS Tariffs by 120% in 2026 — Health Minister Announces Major Boost to Health Financing
The Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that government will implement a 120 percent increase in National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) tariffs beginning next year, describing the move as a “game changer” in strengthening healthcare delivery across the country.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, the minister said the review of NHIS tariffs had become necessary due to persistent complaints from service providers over inadequate and “unrealistic” payment rates.
“Beginning next year, we are going to increase the tariffs in the National Health Insurance Scheme to the service providers,” he stated. “Service providers have been complaining that the tariffs we give them are unrealistic, and so government has taken the decision to increase the tariffs by about 120 percent on average. I believe this is going to be a game changer.”
According to Hon. Akandoh, the 2026 national budget, which he described as “the most people-focused and health-centered in recent years,” allocates GHS 34 billion to the health sector — representing an 11 percent share of total government expenditure next year.
He explained that GHS 11 billion of this amount will go directly into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which he said is now enjoying renewed confidence after years of delays in claims payments.
“Gone were the days where service providers threatened to withdraw services because they were not receiving payment,” he noted. “Today, in some cases, my CEO has to call service providers to bring their claims for payment. That is the current status of the National Health Insurance Authority.”
The minister disclosed that NHIS active membership has grown from 18 million to 20 million within a year, representing about 60% national coverage.
“It is not by coincidence that there is a lot of confidence in the National Health Insurance Scheme,” he said. “We inherited delays, capped funds, and unrealistic tariffs, but we have unclogged the bottlenecks, and the results are clear.”
Hon. Akandoh reaffirmed that Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) will be rolled out in 2026, supported by a GHS 1.5 billion allocation under the NHIS.
“When we get our primary healthcare right, we have a strong health sector,” he emphasized. “This initiative will focus not only on curative care but also on enhanced preventive health care.”
The minister also provided an update on the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (‘Mahama Cares’), which he said has begun operations following the passage of its establishing law and installation of a governing board.
“Mahama Cares is no longer a promise,” he assured. “The board is in place, the secretariat is fully operational, and disbursements for patient care have started.”
Government will additionally begin construction of three new regional hospitals in the Savannah, Oti, and Western North regions, funded with GHS 600 million.
He added that primary health facilities across the country will undergo major retooling to address severe equipment shortages.
“More than 50 percent of our CHPS compounds do not have basic equipment,” he disclosed. “As part of free primary healthcare, we are going to retool these facilities to give real meaning to the programme.”
Responding to public concerns about the continuity of Zipline’s drone services, the minister said government is engaged in negotiations to review the contract to ensure value for money.
“If you hear that we are not engaging Zipline, it is not true,” he clarified. “We have met them more than three times. We are simply ensuring value for money because government currently pays over half a million dollars each month for the six centers.”
