NHIA vows crackdown on illegal charges at health facilities

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has declared a renewed crackdown on illegal charges at health facilities, warning that the practice is eroding public confidence in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and undermining efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, acknowledged that despite years of reforms, some accredited health facilities continue to impose unauthorised fees on patients who present valid NHIS cards.

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) Annual Conference in Koforidua, DDrBampoe stressed that the problem is not confined to public hospitals, but cuts across different categories of healthcare providers.

“Illegal charges remain a major concern. Wherever that happens, it does great damage. It tells the subscriber that the NHIS card cannot be trusted,” he said.

According to him, the practice weakens public confidence in the scheme, discourages enrolment and renewal, and ultimately threatens gothe vernment’s efforts to provide equitable access to healthcare.

“When people are asked to make payments they are not supposed to make, despite holding a valid NHIS card, confidence in the scheme is undermined. Once that trust is broken, people begin to question the value of remaining on the scheme,” he explained.

Dr Bampoe said addressing the challenge requires stronger collaboration between the NHIA and healthcare providers, particularly CHAG, which remains one of the country’s largest providers of health services.

He described CHAG as an indispensable partner in delivering healthcare to millions of Ghanaians and said its support would be crucial in eliminating illegal charges across the health sector.

“We must work together to eliminate this practice wherever it occurs. This is not about pointing fingers at one category of provider. It is about protecting the integrity of the National Health Insurance Scheme and preserving the trust of the Ghanaian people,” he said.

The NHIA Chief Executive called for improved reporting mechanisms, stronger enforcement of existing regulations and greater accountability across all accredited facilities.

He urged health facility managers to ensure staff fully understand the NHIS benefit package and comply strictly with the scheme’s reimbursement guidelines to prevent patients from being subjected to unauthorised payments.

DDrBampoe also encouraged NHIS subscribers to report any illegal charges through the Authority’s established complaints channels, assuring that every complaint would be investigated.

“We want people to have confidence that when they use their NHIS card, they will receive the services they are entitled to without being asked to make unlawful payments,” he said.

The renewed warning comes as government intensifies efforts to implement the Free Primary Health Care programme, with the NHIS expected to play a central role in financing essential health services.

Health sector stakeholders have long identified illegal charges as one of the factors affecting public perception of the NHIS. Although the scheme covers a broad range of outpatient and inpatient services, patients have, over the years, complained about being asked to make additional payments for consultations, medicines, laboratory investigations and other services that should ordinarily be covered.

Dr Bampoe said protecting the integrity of the NHIS would require a collective effort involving regulators, healthcare providers, development partners and the public.

“The National Health Insurance Scheme is built on trust. Protecting that trust is a shared responsibility, and we must all work together to ensure that subscribers receive the benefits they have been promised,” he said.

The remarks were delivered at the 2026 CHAG Annual Conference in Koforidua, where policymakers, health professionals and development partners gathered to discuss the implementation of the government’s Free Primary Health Care programme and the future of people-centred healthcare in Ghana.