Why "free maternal healthcare" is not entirely free in Ghana: a qualitative exploration of the role of street-level bureaucratic power.
Ghana
Maternal healthcare
National Health Insurance Scheme
Out-of-pocket payments
Street-level bureaucrats
Journal
Health research policy and systems
ISSN: 1478-4505
Titre abrégé: Health Res Policy Syst
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101170481
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 Oct 2024
09 Oct 2024
Historique:
received:
09
01
2024
accepted:
19
09
2024
medline:
10
10
2024
pubmed:
10
10
2024
entrez:
10
10
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Ghana introduced a free maternal healthcare policy within its National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 to remove financial barriers to accessing maternal health services. Despite this policy, evidence suggests that women incur substantial out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for maternal health care. This study explores the underlying reasons for these persistent out-of-pocket payments within the context of Ghana's free maternal healthcare policy. Cross-sectional qualitative data were collected through interviews with a purposive sample of 14 mothers and 8 healthcare providers/administrators in two regions of Ghana between May and September 2022. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and imported into the NVivo 14.0 software for analysis. An iteratively developed codebook guided the coding process. Our thematic data analysis followed the Attride-Sterling framework for network analysis, identifying basic, organising themes and global themes. We found that health systems and demand-side factors are responsible for the persistence of OOP payments despite the existence of the free maternal healthcare policy in Ghana. Reasons for these payments arose from health systems factors, particularly, NHIS structural issues - delayed and insufficient reimbursements, inadequate NHIS benefit coverage, stockouts and supply chain challenges and demand-side factors - mothers' lack of education about the NHIS benefit package, and passing of cost onto patients. Due to structural and system level challenges, healthcare providers, exercising their street-level bureaucratic power, have partly repackaged the policy, enabling the persistence of out-of-pocket payments for maternal healthcare. Urgent measures are required to address the structural and administrative issues confronting Ghana's free maternal health policy; otherwise, Ghana may not achieve the sustainable development goals targets on maternal and child health.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Ghana introduced a free maternal healthcare policy within its National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 to remove financial barriers to accessing maternal health services. Despite this policy, evidence suggests that women incur substantial out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for maternal health care. This study explores the underlying reasons for these persistent out-of-pocket payments within the context of Ghana's free maternal healthcare policy.
METHODS
METHODS
Cross-sectional qualitative data were collected through interviews with a purposive sample of 14 mothers and 8 healthcare providers/administrators in two regions of Ghana between May and September 2022. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and imported into the NVivo 14.0 software for analysis. An iteratively developed codebook guided the coding process. Our thematic data analysis followed the Attride-Sterling framework for network analysis, identifying basic, organising themes and global themes.
RESULTS
RESULTS
We found that health systems and demand-side factors are responsible for the persistence of OOP payments despite the existence of the free maternal healthcare policy in Ghana. Reasons for these payments arose from health systems factors, particularly, NHIS structural issues - delayed and insufficient reimbursements, inadequate NHIS benefit coverage, stockouts and supply chain challenges and demand-side factors - mothers' lack of education about the NHIS benefit package, and passing of cost onto patients. Due to structural and system level challenges, healthcare providers, exercising their street-level bureaucratic power, have partly repackaged the policy, enabling the persistence of out-of-pocket payments for maternal healthcare.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Urgent measures are required to address the structural and administrative issues confronting Ghana's free maternal health policy; otherwise, Ghana may not achieve the sustainable development goals targets on maternal and child health.
Identifiants
pubmed: 39385274
doi: 10.1186/s12961-024-01233-4
pii: 10.1186/s12961-024-01233-4
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
142Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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