Mandatory NHIA health insurance for foreigners not yet approved – Dr Okoe Boye

The Minister for Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, has, in an official statement, clarified that the mandatory health insurance policy for non-resident visitors is a proposal by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which is yet to be discussed by cabinet before it is approved.

Various social and mainstream media outlets have been publishing that “From 1 July 2024, foreign nationals who arrive in Ghana will have to take up a compulsory health insurance policy of between $45 and $270 before being admitted into Ghana.”

However, in a press release dated Tuesday, 18 June 2024 and signed by the Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe, the Ministry of Health clarified that ‘the recent announcement regarding mandatory health insurance policy for non-resident visitors is a proposal from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and not a policy of government.”

“While the proposal aims to ensure that foreign nationals have access to healthcare during their stay in Ghana, it is important to note that it has not yet been discussed or approved by Cabinet. We urge the public to disregard any misinformation that may suggest that the policy has been finalized and its mode of implementation settled,” the statement by the Health Minister read.