The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as The MahamaCare, would be funded with a 20% cut from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
This is the only clear-cut source of funding for the policy, which was promised by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 campaign.
However, the Minority in Parliament has vehemently opposed the decision by government to deplete the National Health Insurance Authority of 20% funding to run the MahamaCare.
They argue that the government must look for a different source of funding, instead of cutting the allocation of the already struggling NHIA.
CONSIDERATION
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Parliament went through the consideration stage of the bill, where each clause was mentioned, debated with amendments, and voted upon by voice.
The clause one establishes the fund, the clause two talks about the object of the bill and the clause three contains the source of funding for the MahamaCare.
The Member of Parliament for Effia, Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, speaking from the Minority side, raised concern about the 20% allocation and proposed an amendment for it to be reduced to 10%.
“Mr Speaker, I think the 20% is on the high side. Honourable members, there is a proposed amendment that the 20% should be 10%,” he said.
The MP for Asante Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, argued that the bill had the 20% allocation from the NHIF as the substantive source of funding; thus, reducing it would be synonymous with collapsing it.
He, however, shared in the concern that the 20% may be high, proposing that it should be up to 20%, not emphatically 20% of the total monies allocated to the NHIF.The chairman of the Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, opposed the tweaking of the 20%, arguing that the bill had a fiscal impact, containing resources to make the bill implementable.
“So if you decide to vary the source of funding, what you are effectively saying is that they should go back and recalibrate the fiscal impact,” he added.
The chairman of the Health Committee, Mark Nawaane Kurt, argued that the 20% funds were not enough, citing that the country currently has about a 40-45% disease burden and a mortality rate around 40-45%.
NOTHING WRONG
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, saw “nothing wrong” with the 20% fund cut from NHIF to feed the MahamaCare.
“And so with respect, I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with the rendition assistance now. If you are not very careful and you get a finance minister who will allocate 1%, if you say up to, and 1% is allocated, he falls within the law,” he stated.
The MP for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, indicated, based on the input by the minister, that financial impact analysis was important.
He argued that if the minister dreads it, a minister may use his discretion to allocate 1% instead of the 20%.
“Clearly, Mr Speaker, it is obvious that we are pursuing this bill with our eyes closed, Mr Speaker, in pursuing something that we don’t even know of.”
The MP for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, suggested that if the policy were to be funded by the NHIF, there would be no point in creating the MahamaCare.
The MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah drew the House’s attention to the possible breach of Section 100 of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act.
Section 100 of the PFM Act states that any legislation to be laid before Parliament, or proposal submitted for the approval of Parliament shall be accompanied by a fiscal impact analysis, stating the estimated effect on revenues and expenditures for the financial year in which the legislation or proposal is expected to come into effect.
He argued that the NHIA may have planned for its medium term with the allocation, but now 20% has to be depleted.
He further added that it was important also for Parliament to understand from the health insurance authorities how they would close that gap of 20% that would be taken out of their medium-term programme.
ABSTAIN
It appeared the majority side was bent on maintaining the rendition in the bill, making no sense of the minority arguments. The ranking member on the Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, MP for Effiduase-Asokore, told the House that his side was opposed to clause 3 that cuts 20% of NHIF money to the MahamaCare.
He said, “Mr Speaker, with your guidance, the minority, as far as this provision is concerned, [clause] 3A, we (minority) abstain from it.”
The MahamaCare Fund seeks to provide financial assistance to individuals living with chronic diseases across the country. Meanwhile, Parliament passed the MahamaCare Act yesterday under certificate of urgency.
