Membership

Membership of the Scheme

A resident in The Gambia, who is not a member of a private health insurance scheme, shall be a member of the Scheme.

Registration

A resident of The Gambia shall register with the Scheme within two years of the coming into force of the National Health Insurance(NHIS) Act, 2021.

Contributions

  • Except as otherwise provided for in the NHIS Act 2021, every resident of The Gambia shall pay the annual contributions determined by the Authority.
  • The Accountant General shall deduct from every public officer an amount equivalent to twenty percent of the premium based on the net salary.
  • The Government of the Gambia shall meet the cost of the premium, under this Act allowing for contributions referred to under sub-section (2).

Exemptions to contributions

The category of persons exempted from the payment of contributions under the Scheme include –

  • children under five years of age;
  • persons in need of ante-natal, delivery and post-natal healthcare services;
  • persons living with mental illnesses as defined in the regulations made under this Act;
  • persons classified by the Minister responsible for Social Welfare as an “indigent”;
  • categories of differently abled persons determined by the Minister responsible for Social Welfare;
  • Pensioners; and
  • persons above sixty-five years of age; and
  • such other persons designated by a Ministerial committee comprising –
    • the Minister responsible for Finance,
    • the Minister responsible for Health, and
    • the Minister responsible for women, children and social welfare.