Assessing the Impact of Education on the Uptake of Health Insurance at the Cape Coast Technical University, Ghana

Abstract

Historically, health financing in Ghana was cash and carry from the 1980s until the year 2005 when National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) started operation. Due to the barriers surrounding the ‘‘out-of-pocket’’ (OOP) regime on healthcare, Ghana adopted health insurance as an alternative for financing healthcare. The National Health Insurance Scheme was thus introduced in 2003 as a step towards achieving universal health coverage. This was aimed at bringing hope, better health and easing the financial burden on the entire population of Ghana especially the most vulnerable and poor. The study assesses the impact of education on the uptake of the National Health Insurance Policy among the staff of Cape Coast Technical University and its policy implication in achieving universal coverage. A descriptive research design and quantitative research approaches were adopted in this study. A survey of 200 staff of Cape Coast Technical University was conducted using a proportionate stratified sample technique to ensure a smooth representation of individuals. Questionnaires were used to collect data for this study. The results of the ordinary least square regression proved that level of education statistically influenced the uptake of health insurance. The study recommends that policymakers should continue to invest in the education of Ghanaians. Keywords: Heath, National Health Insurance, Uptake of Insurance, Education, and Cape Coast Technical University.