Cost of maternal healthcare service utlised by NHIS clients in Ghana

There is considerable interest at present in achieving the MDG-5 by implementation of the Free Maternal Health Policy embedded in the social health insurance to increase access to and affordability of health care in Ghana. Ghana's National Free Maternal Health Policy was passed into operation in July, 2007. This book aims to provide assessment of the explicit costs of maternal healthcare services rendered to NHIS clients in Ghana. The book revealed that there is increase utilization of the free maternal health service. The NHIS offers the entire maternal health package to their clients free of charge. There is a cost gap between the tariffs paid by the NHIA which uses the G-DRG compared to the cost of services rendered by the health providers if they use the itemized billing system. The challenges were the NHIA paying less to the service rendered by the health providers and payment of the claims on late. The free maternal health care in the Health insurance has become the alternative option of the health care financing in achieving the MDG-5 in Ghana.