National Health Insurance Scheme to Cover Mental Health Services
In a landmark reform, the NHIA announces that outpatient psychiatric care will be included in the benefits package from July.
The National Health Insurance Authority has announced the inclusion of outpatient mental health services in the NHIS benefits package, effective July 1, 2026. The decision marks a significant expansion of Ghana's universal health coverage.
CEO Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby said the move follows two years of actuarial studies and pilot programmes in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions. "Mental health is health. We can no longer treat it as separate from the continuum of care," she stated.
The expanded coverage will include consultations with psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, prescribed psychotropic medications, and up to six counselling sessions per year. Inpatient psychiatric care remains excluded for now due to cost constraints.