The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has begun a nationwide exercise offering free registration and renewal of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) membership, as part of a major intervention aimed at expanding healthcare access before a May 31 deadline.
The initiative, known as STORM, is being described as the most significant policy shift in the history of the NHIS, as it simultaneously removes registration fees, renewal charges, and the mandatory one-month waiting period for new members.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, May 4, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, said the intervention marks an unprecedented moment for healthcare delivery in the country.
“For the very first time in the history of Ghana’s national health insurance scheme, we are simultaneously waiving both the registration and renewal fees and the one-month waiting period together. This has never happened before,” he stated.
Under the programme, which runs from April 15 to May 31, Ghanaians and legal residents can enroll in the NHIS at no cost, renew expired memberships for free, and access healthcare services immediately after registration.
In a departure from the traditional office-based system, the NHIA has deployed staff nationwide to take services directly to communities. Registration teams are currently operating in markets, churches, mosques, lorry parks, schools, workplaces, and other public spaces across urban and rural areas.
“We are not waiting for people to come to us, but taking the service to them,” Dr Bampoe said, adding that the authority is collaborating with traditional leaders, community groups, and civil society organisations to drive participation.
The outreach effort also integrates free primary healthcare screenings, allowing individuals to register or renew their NHIS membership while receiving basic medical checks in a single visit.
According to the NHIA, the initiative aligns with the free primary healthcare programme introduced by John Dramani Mahama, and is intended to ensure that more citizens can access healthcare services across all levels—from community clinics to teaching hospitals.
To improve accessibility, residents can also register or renew their membership by dialing *929# on any mobile phone or through the MyNHIS mobile application, eliminating the need to visit physical offices.
As the deadline approaches, Dr Bampoe urged all Ghanaians to take advantage of the limited window.
“Come. Register. Renew. It is free. It is immediate. And it could save your life,” he said. “No Ghanaian should be caught without health coverage when this opportunity has been opened to all.”
