Trends of health insurance subscription in Cape Coast, Ghana from 2005 - 2014

Eugene K. M. Darteh, University of Cape Coast
Hubert Amu, University of Cape Coast
Akwasi Kumi-Kyereme, University of Cape Coast

At its inception, the National Health Insurance Scheme in 2003, aimed at universal subscription in five years, however, the scheme covered only 35% of the Ghanaians after ten years of its introduction. Using descriptive approach, the paper uses data on subscription to Scheme from 2005 to 2014 to examine trends of health insurance subscription in Cape Coast, from 2005 to 2014. Subscription increased from six percent of the population of Cape Coast in 2005, to 41% in 2014. At the national level, it declined from 44% in 2005 to 38% in 2014. Female subscribers were more than their male counterparts. While percentage subscription increased for persons under 18 years from 2005 to 2014, with 31.8 to 45.3%, it declined for other special groups over the same period. The study underscores the need for the National Health Insurance Authority to increase subscription by improving advertisement of the scheme.