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Challenges of Financing Health Care in Ghana: The Case of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)Keywords: Health care , financing , funding mechanisms , national health insurance Abstract: The study examined the challenges of financing health care in Ghana. It also identified various funding mechanisms available to finance health care in Ghana. A combination of primary and secondary sources was used to collect data for the study. Stratified sampling technique was employed to select 250 respondents for the study. It was found out that inadequate funding sources, and insufficient premium were some of the challenges of financing health care delivery in Ghana. It was concluded that National health insurance should be seen as an important mechanism for removing financial barrier to achieving equitable access to health care for all citizens. Health care utilization should no longer be restrained by finance, given that one enrols onto the scheme. The study recommended that for increase uptake and effective risk pooling, mandatory enrolment on the national health insurance scheme should be instituted as is done for motor. Again relatively richer persons should pay higher premium for health insurance to help subsidize for the relatively poorer persons who would not have otherwise been able to purchase health insurance. Among the funding mechanisms recommended by the study was medical savings account.
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