The overhaul of Kenya’s health finance scheme has left many beneficiaries uncertain about the transition to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). As the government rolls out these significant reforms and benefit packages under the new SHIF architecture, the public remains apprehensive about how these changes will unfold.
The SHIF aims to provide comprehensive coverage to all Kenyans, targeting the vulnerable population with an array of benefits including screenings, certain transplants, essential medications, and access to vital medical equipment—services that were previously hard to come by under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Effective from July 1, all Kenyans must register for SHIF to enjoy these new benefits. The Social Health Authority (SHA) has introduced a primary health care fund for basic health needs, a social health insurance fund for curative care, and an emergency chronic and critical illness fund for medical emergencies.
“We want to prevent and promote wellness through preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care,” explained Timothy Olweny, Chair of the Social Health Authority, during an interview with the media He acknowledged past challenges with the NHIF, particularly with the chronic and illness fund, and noted that the new SHIF aims to overcome these issues by offering a second fund specifically for chronic and critical illnesses.
The transition to SHIF has been necessitated by NHIF’s failure to meet its initial mandate. To benefit from SHIF, beneficiaries must re-register, with a focus on household registration rather than individuals, a shift from the NHIF model. Formal employees will pay a fixed proportion of their income, while those in informal employment will have different arrangements.
Olweny reassured NHIF beneficiaries that their registration process will be streamlined, utilizing existing data and requiring minimal additional information via a USSD code. Biometrics will also be collected as part of the new registration process. The Ministry of Health is expected to provide further details soon.
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