Government to Take Over Paying of NHIF Premiums From Kenyans

The government of Kenya will pay National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) premiums for 30 million Kenyans dimmed poor from the start of the year 2020 if it takes into consideration reforms suggested by a team of experts.

The team of experts was appointed to propose reforms for NHIF presented their conclusions to Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki on the 24th of October 2019 yesterday.

Children will be the majority beneficiary so the actual premiums paid will be lower than normally is.

The proposed reforms advice that NHIF should immediately stop the collection of 500 shillings from Kenyans since the default rate is high.

The team of experts noted that the voluntary contribution of 500 shillings a month could be going a long way to oppress an already financially struggling Kenyan.

Out of the 100 percent of Kenyans who are registered the national health fund; it is only 35 percent who are consistent in paying their premiums which literally means that they are still many Kenyans struggling to achieve basic medical care.

In the 35 percent of Kenyans that are consistent in paying their NHIF premiums, the fund has to spend thrice the money in paying for their treatment while most of them only rush to apply for the cover when an expensive medical need arises.

The health experts and hospital administrators recommend that the government should allocate funds directly to the national health insurance fund to cover uninsured Kenyans and those in the 500 Shillings scheme who are mostly unemployed Kenyans in the informal sector.

It is only 18 percent of the Kenyan population that is insured in the national fund.

The team of experts was convened by the Ministry of Health as the NHIF Reforms Panel in February to assess how the fund could be reformed to deliver the Universal Health Coverage which is among the government’s big five agendas.

The panel of experts was chaired by James Wambugu who said that the 50 billion shillings allocated to UHC in the 2018-19 budget would be enough to cover the uninsured Kenyans for one year.

Mr. Wambugu said Kenyans in the formal employment would continue to make their mandatory contributions adding that, “For those employed, nothing changes. The benefit is to Kenyans who are not employed”.