Opportunities, risks and policy implications of using health facility mortality data to inform DRG payment design under Ghana’s NHIS

Using mortality data to inform Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) design offers an opportunity to make provider payment systems more responsive to differences in clinical severity and resource needs. Mortality data could support refinement of case-mix classification and cost calibration, while providing a complementary signal for quality monitoring. Using Ghana as an example, this paper explores how facility-level mortality data could enhance the country’s maturing G-DRG system and inform broader reforms across low- and middle-income settings.