NHIS active membership hits 20 million – Dr. Bampoe

Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, says active membership of the National Health Insurance Scheme has reached 20 million.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Wednesday, November 26, he said the figure represents an increase of 1.5 million users compared to the same period in 2024.

He projected that active cardholders could reach 21 million by the end of 2025. “Last year [2024] by this time [November], we had 1.5 million fewer Ghanaians on the card. Now we are 20 million. I think we will get to 21 million by the end of the year [2025],” he said.

Dr. Bampoe underscored the significance of keeping the card active, noting that registration ensures timely access to health services.

“20 million Ghanaians actually have the card. So if they fall ill, they can go and use the card. That’s what it means. I think card ownership is important because they’ve taken the trouble in 2025 to renew,” he said.

He explained that utilisation numbers differ from total cardholders because individuals access healthcare at varying frequencies.

“Some people use it two times in a year, three times. So I can tell you for a fact that maybe 17 million or 15 million have used it. But then we have to then disaggregate it and say one person has used it four times or one person has used it three times,” he said.

Dr. Bampoe added that the central message is for citizens to keep their NHIS cards active to access care without delay.

During the interview, he admitted that no all public hospitals were on the scheme, explaining that some were in the process of being onboarded.

He said his goal was to ensure that the NHIS becomes an attractive brand to all hospitals in the country.