Cabinet Approves The Scrapping Of NHIF: What Next?

The Cabinet, under the chairmanship of President William Ruto, has approved the scrapping of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), and in its place, replaced by three new funds.

According to the Cabinet, NHIF should be replaced by the Primary Healthcare Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund in its bid to accelerate universal health coverage.

Read Also: Why Beneficiaries In Rural Hospitals Won’t Access NHIF Cards

NHIF has been riddled with massive corruption on all fronts. Hardworking Kenyans who contribute to the fund have been unable to access services because the Fund has not been remitting cash.

Most hospitals around the country have been declining to attend to patients who have NHIF cards due to unpaid bills. It seems the government has failed to tame the runway and the daylight robbery happening at NHIF.

The Cabinet stated that the new development is part of the broader plan by President William Ruto’s government to attain Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“This ushered in a paradigm in the legal and institutional framework for healthcare in Kenya by repealing the current National Health Insurance Fund and establishing in its place the following funds Primary Healthcare Fund; Social Health Insurance Fund; and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund,” Cabinet said in a statement.

Read Also: How To Pay For NHIF Via MPESA

Additionally, Four Bills have been forwarded to Parliament to operationalize Universal Health Coverage which include, The Primary Health Care Bill, of 2023, The Digital Health Bill, of 2023, The Facility Improvement Financing Bill, of 2023, and The Social Health Insurance Bill, of 2023.

At the same time, the Cabinet approved the upgrading of thirteen (13) Technical and Vocational Colleges to National Polytechnic status. These are Maasai Technical Training Institute, Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology, Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, Coast Institute of Technology, Tseikuru Technical & Training College, Sang’alo Institute of Science & Technology, Bureti Technical Vocational College, Jeremiah Nyagah Technical Training Institute, Mawego Technical Training Institute, and Baringo Technical Training Institute.

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