EFFECT OF OPERATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF NHIS IN GHANA AND NIGERIA.

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced in Ghana and Nigeria in 2003 and 2005 respectively. The primary objectives of the scheme was to ensure the delivery of quality health care to the citizens at affordable rates, to prevent untimely date as a result of inability to pay for health services in the two countries. However, the implementation of the Scheme had fallen below expectation as majority of the citizens are not enrolled in the NHIS in both countries. The study therefore examined the effect of the Objectives and operations of NHIS on its implementation in both countries. Survey design was adopted. The population of the study was 4,786,990 enrollees of NHIS in both countries. Sample size of 400 was determined using Taro Yamane formula. Respondents were selected from and three regions in Ghana (Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, and Greater Accra regions) and five states in Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja, Edo, Imo and Ogun States). Questionnaire was the instrument of data collection and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that objectives and operations of NHIS had a significant influence on its implementation (? =.453, R2 = 0.205, p<.05). The study concluded that the objectives and operations of NHIS affected the implementation of the scheme in Ghana and Nigeria.