November 2, 2024

Government announces removal of upfront payment requirements on SHA

Government announces removal of upfront payment requirements on SHA

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that it had ordered all hospitals to remove upfront payment requirements on Social Health Authority (SHA) registration

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that it had ordered all hospitals to remove upfront payment requirements on Social Health Authority (SHA) registration.

According to the government, the incentive will allow registered individuals to access quality care at public, private, and faith-based facilities on monthly payments. 

Medical Services Principal Secretary (PS) Harry Kimtai, however, noted that an insurance premium financing model is being developed and will eventually provide an upfront payment option for users. 

He was speaking during a meeting with county commissioners and health CECs from Nairobi, Central, and North Eastern regions on Wednesday where he noted that several processes are in place to ensure the smooth transition of the process at a grassroots level.

Responding to claims that most people are still being turned away from hospitals despite being up-to-date with their insurance payments, Kimtai once again urged all health facilities registered under SHA to offer services and stop imposing barriers to treatment.

“If they have been contracted to provide services under SHA, they must fulfill their obligations without demanding upfront payments from patients,” Kimtai stated.

Referring back to the announcement by the Ministry on Tuesday about the disbursement of Ksh9 billion, Kimtai noted that all health facilities will have received the funds by the end of the week to ensure that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) debt is cleared.

The clearance of the accrued NHIF debt is expected to put an end to health facilities failing to collaborate with the government and finally open up their doors for all SHA-registered users. “No registered SHA patient should be denied treatment,” he stressed.

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Kimtai also noted that there had been an uptick of registrations on Tuesday with a total of 91,000 Kenyans registering to join the over 13 million Kenyans who are already registered in the system.

He also reiterated the ministry’s decision to establish multi-sectoral county committees aimed at ensuring that all Kenyans are registered by December.

The committees, which will be chaired by County Executive Committees (CECs) will also include representatives from National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), the Kenya Health Federation (KHF), and the Social Health Authority (SHA).

He guaranteed that this would ensure that SHA reaches every household including those who might struggle with registering independently saying, “Kenyans can trust that SHA registration guarantees standardized healthcare across both primary and referral levels nationwide.”

To address technical registration challenges, the PS confirmed that technicians have been dispatched to various counties to facilitate a smooth registration process.

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