Kenyan Adults Without NHIF Cover Will Not Get State Services

Adult Kenyans without the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover risk 20,000 shillings fine and being locked out from government services, says new draft regulations.

Under the draft, National Health Insurance Fund (Contributions) Regulations, 2022 published by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, in consultation with the NHIF board, everyone who is 18 years old and above must be registered for the cover.

“Every person above 18 years of age shall be a registered contributor or beneficiary of NHIF when seeking government services. Anyone who does not register as a member commits an offense and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding 20,000,” reads the draft.

The Ministry of Health and the NHIF have fronted this in the draft regulations published on 16^th February 2022, as part of reforms to help achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

According to the draft, proof of NHIF cover will be required before accessing government services by any adult in Kenya.

If this regulation is adopted, millions of adult Kenyans will be unable to access government services including registration of land titles, approval of development plans, transfer and licensing of motor vehicles, and registration of business names and companies.

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The planned mandatory NHIF membership for all Kenyans will be an upgrade of the current scheme, where only workers in the formal sector are compelled to join.

The current scheme stipulates that Voluntary contributors should pay 500 shillings a month to the NHIF while those in the formal sector contribute between 150 and 1,700 shillings every month, depending on their salary scale.

The draft regulations are meant to allow NHIF to use the existing national population data to mobilize people to register. The latest population census in 2019, showed there 24.71 million Kenyans, or 51.9 percent of the population, were aged 18 years and above.

The drafts will be subjected to public consultation between February 23 and March 22.

Among those targeted for input are trade unions, civil societies, employees and employer associations, development partners, healthcare professional bodies, and Parliamentary Health Committee.