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By Evans KORANTENG Private health insurance is catching on rapidly with many Ghanaian households as a healthcare buffer, especially among urban residents—including middle-income earners and individuals who are seeking reliable substitutes to the constraints of public health insurance. Over the past two decades, the sector has evolved from an untested novelty to become a key player in the country’s healthcare financing landscape. From just about 50,000 insured lives in its early days, it is now estimated that more than half a million Ghanaians have registered for private health insurance nationwide, telling a story of gradual growth, resilience, and increasing relevance. There has also been a consistent surge in service uptake over the last two decades, attesting that the public have increasingly bought into the promise of reliable healthcare delivery through private insurance interventions. “The foundation [for private health insurance] has been laid. What we need now is the right policy push and professional discipline to sustain the gains and build an even more inclusive health insurance future,” said Mr. Ronald Adom, President of the Private Health Insurance Association of Ghana (PHIAG). Beyond urban centers like Accra and Kumasi, private health insurers are now expanding to peri-urban and semi-rural communities, signaling market acceptance and a broader policy push toward universal health coverage through multi-sectoral collaboration. As the Ghanaian economy continues to diversify and digital transformation accelerates, the private health insurance industry stands at the threshold of a new era, with new opportunities in product innovation, technology-driven service delivery, and outreach to informal sector workers who remain largely uninsured. Winning businesses are exploring hybrid products that blend micro-insurance models with digital health solutions, targeting underserved groups such as traders, artisans, and low-income earners. “There is such a huge room for growth and exciting dimensions of coverage. The industry is gearing up for a mixed bag of options for the informal and underserved population segments,” said Mr. Adom. The head of the sector association opined that the future of this burgeoning industry depends heavily on capacity-building—both in human expertise and institutional strengthening. According to him, sustaining growth requires deliberate reframing of the industry’s legal, operational, and professional frameworks. “After 20 years, a refresher of some sort is required in the legal framework,” Mr. Adom argued, adding that making private health insurance compulsory for all corporate entities would significantly boost coverage and sustainability. This policy proposal, if implemented, could mirror models from developed economies where employer-based health insurance is a key pillar of healthcare financing. Such a move would bring more working adults under coverage, easing the financial burden on both individuals and the public health system. Equally important is professional development. Industry-wide learning is required to hone the skills of professionals in the sector, with the PHIAG president proposing technical expertise building in actuarial science, claims management, risk assessment, and customer service specific to the health insurance ecosystem. He however adds that the path ahead requires strong policy support and a refreshed regulatory environment that support emerging customer needs in a fast-changing and highly digital health dispensation. “We need a legal framework refresh to make private health insurance compulsory for certain segments of the market—particularly all employer groups—to ensure risk pooling and sustainability.” The burgeoning sector is not bereft of hurdles. Concerns around overlapping medical coverage embedded in other forms of insurance—such as travel or life insurance—without clear alignment to the private health insurance framework is an identifiable challenge. Streamlining these products under private health insurance, industry watchers say, could eliminate redundancy and ensure consistency in claims management and benefit delivery. Mr. Adom further explained: “Currently, variations in provider pricing and service quality often lead to disputes, delayed claims, and inconsistent customer experiences. Prompt payment of claims to healthcare providers, as well as timely premium payments by clients, is also crucial to maintaining the trust and stability of the entire ecosystem.” Clearly, the steady rise of Ghana’s private health insurance sector underscores both the entrepreneurial dynamism of local insurers and the growing public appreciation for structured healthcare financing. With a supportive policy environment, backed by standardised tariffs, care options across the board and continued investment in human capacity, the sector can expand its footprint as Ghana’s robust and trustable pillar in the quest towards universal health coverage.
