How to obtain health insurance in Ghana
The greatest asset that any human has is his/her health. Without good health, one is unable to engage in any productive activities to generate income. One is also unable to participate in activities that they usually enjoy, care for their family and friends or even care for themselves. And all this is before we consider the huge financial and time commitment on the part of the sick person or his/her family, friends or employer that is needed to return the sick person to health. It is therefore very important that one takes action to prevent sickness as much as possible as well as to take health insurance in case of an illness.
A health insurance policy is an agreement between two parties where one party promises to bear the costs of the other party in the occurrence of certain medical conditions in exchange for periodic payments known as premiums. Health insurance is important because people can develop health problems that will require huge financial resources to address. The absence of health insurance could lead to bankruptcy in extreme cases when one is forced to use all resources to treat a medical condition. These situations can be averted with health insurance that covers you when you’re most vulnerable.
In Ghana, the government provides health insurance in the form of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This provides care for a number of health conditions that can be accessed at several health centres in the country. Funding for the programme comes in the way of premiums as well as an indirect tax called the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL).
Apart from the health insurance from NHIS, many people in formal employment also have some kind of health insurance from their employers. However, depending on the company, the coverage could be rather shallow and not cover more expensive procedures.
Government health insurance is not enough protection because the government is heavily indebted to healthcare providers and these providers have been known to turn away people with NHIS cards because of accruing debt. It is therefore important that one looks for a private health insurance scheme in order to be sure of coverage when they fall ill.
There are many insurance companies in Ghana who offer different kinds of health insurance policies. They have packages that range from basic health services coverage to coverage for more serious conditions including treatment that require trips out of the country. Premiums can be affordable or a bit hefty depending on the policy that you wish to acquire.
The requirements for getting health insurance includes providing your personal details such as date of birth, address and next-of-kin as well as even more personal information about your health history and pre-existing conditions. The reason why this information is required is that the insurance companies want to be sure that you are not coming to pay premiums for a few months only to hit them with very expensive medical treatment because you have an existing medical condition.
Before you pick a health insurance scheme, you should be clear about the kind of health risks that you think you carry. This is what should guide the policy you choose and how you compare the different health packages of the various insurance companies to determine which one provides the best value.
Unfortunately, too many Ghanaians do not pay attention to their health until they have a medical condition. Do not be one of them. Start looking for a health insurance policy right away. Your health insurance policy can start here.
And, one common mistake that most of us make while buying a home insurance policy is lack of research. For a comparative platform, you can log on to GhanaCompares.com to make an informed decision, instead of a hurried one.
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