Determinants of Household Heads’ Enrolment in National Health Insurance Scheme in Central Region of Ghana: A Case Study

Abstract

This study sought to determine household heads’ enrolment in the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District in the Central Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was used and data were collected from both household heads who are enrolled in NHIS and those who have not been enrolled in the district for the purpose of analysis. An interview schedule was used for the collection of the data from the respondents. In total, 400 household heads were interviewed. A binary logit regression model was estimated to identify the determinants of household heads’ enrolment in the national health insurance scheme. The study found out that marital status, income, frequency of illness, distance from the nearest NHIS registration centre, education, occupation, age and religious affiliation were significant in explaining the decision of a household head to participate in the national health insurance scheme. In order to increase enrolment in the national health insurance scheme, it is recommended that National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) should increase the number of National Health Insurance scheme registration centres. Also, government should strengthen policies to enhance income level.