The effectiveness of the national health insurance in providing the poor with quality health care

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to examine the effectiveness of the national health insurance on the poor. Both quantitative and qualitative approach was also used for the study which involved collecting and analyzing the data gathered in succession. To have a true reflection of the population a simple random sampling and purposive sampling method would be used to select the samples for this study. A simple random sampling method was found to be appropriate since all the people have the chance of been selected. For this study, the population were health insurance card users and accredited providers of health insurance services in Akuapem South District. One hundred people were selected from the respondents as sample for the study. SPSS was used to analyze the results from the data collected. The findings shows that the hospital facility is not closer to the respondents as well as the benefits derived from the NHIS is something that the respondents classified as fair. Although the benefits the respondents derived from the NHIS is classifies as fair they went on to say that they are not satisfied with the service provided by the service providers, that is, poor attention and bad treatment. The respondents sometimes bought drug from drug stores and also performed self-medication without authorization from the hospital. The respondents’ also said the alternative facility they visited is cheaper than the hospital and it is also accessible. The following recommendations were made based on the findings stated above. Government should put up chips compounds in the other communities in and around Pakro so that they will not travel a longer distance to access health care. In addition other charges charged by the government facility should be stopped so that the people will not go to the alternative facilities. Furthermore, the services provided by the government facilities should be improved so that the respondents can have confidence in them that when they visit them they would be healed.