Ghana’s healthcare sector is set for a major financial turnaround from January 2026, as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) projects an average 120 percent increase in tariffs to strengthen service delivery, improve provider liquidity, and stabilise the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The adjustment, which awaits the Minister of Health’s statutory approval, represents one of the largest injections of capital into the health system in more than a decade.
Officials say the move is expected to address longstanding funding gaps that have driven up illegal charges, slowed reimbursements, and weakened service quality across public and private facilities.
In a statement the Authority described the pending adjustment as a “far-reaching financing reform” that will improve cash flow for providers, reduce debt accumulation, and ensure better patient experience, especially at lower-level facilities that have struggled to keep pace with rising operational costs.
Speaking at a regional training programme for health managers in the Volta and Oti Regions, Dr. Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations, said the new tariff schedule was based on realistic cost structures developed by the Independent Clinical Experts’ Group.
While the headline increase stands at 180 percent, Dr. Djokoto clarified that the effective average rise in claims payments will not fall below 120 percent, depending on the types of medical cases handled at each facility.
He attributed the breakthrough to Government’s decision to un-cap the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), a policy shift that has unlocked an additional GH¢3.4 billion for improved healthcare delivery.
“The uncapping of the NHIF by His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama gives us the fiscal space to implement the revised tariffs, roll out Free Primary Healthcare, and dedicate more predictable resources to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund for chronic disease support,” he said.
Economists say the move could have broader macroeconomic effects, including improving the financial sustainability of thousands of healthcare providers, unlocking new investments in equipment and diagnostics, and reducing out-of-pocket payments that often push households into poverty.
However, Dr. Djokoto cautioned that illegal charges remain a challenge. With tariffs now aligned to actual service costs, the NHIA will intensify enforcement measures to eliminate unauthorized payments.
A taskforce commissioned by NHIA CEO Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe recently identified realistic tariffs as one of the most effective means of ending co-payment abuses.
Health sector stakeholders welcomed the news, describing the reform as long overdue and essential for the survival of Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure.
A World Bank consultant on the tariff review process, Rev. Prof. Adukwei Hesse, said the new tariff regime was “comprehensive and consistent with global best practices,” adding that improved cost recovery would enhance facility performance.
Similarly, Dr. Isaac Koranteng, Consultant Obstetrician at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said the revision would boost provider confidence, reduce informal payments, and ultimately improve patient welfare.
The NHIA will continue stakeholder engagements across all regions to ensure health facility managers, frontline workers, and administrators are fully prepared for the new tariff structure and related reforms ahead of the January rollout.
