This archive report was first published on 31 December 2021.
December 31, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya - The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has extended its contracts with hospital care providers by one month, amidst a dispute with healthcare unions over the proposed 2022-2024 contracts.
The move comes after the consortium of health professional association bodies, led by the Kenya Medical Association (KMA), Kenya Medical, Pharmaceutical and Dentist Union (KMPDU), Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH), and Rural Private Hospital Association of Kenya (RUPHA), vowed not to sign the new contracts.
The healthcare unions had faulted the engagement process in developing the contracts, saying the benefit packages aimed to lower the quality of health services in the country.
"There was no stakeholders involvement process in the development of the benefit packages as envisaged in the constitution. We thus propose that the proposed NHIF service provider contract be put on hold until proper stakeholder involvement is held on mutually agreed contract," said Were Onyino, President of KMA.
The unions had raised concerns over the reduction of benefit packages for surgical surgeries, dialysis services, and reproductive health services, as well as the omission of some health services in the new contract package.
"There remains no clarity on what is offered and not offered in the NHIF. Even a mother coming to the hospital to receive a lifesaving breast surgery might not receive the services because it has been left out in the national scheme," stated Onyino.
The NHIF had proposed to cut down on the reimbursement of Sh 9,500 to patients undergoing hemodialysis to Sh6,000, despite concerns from the stakeholders.
