The government has announced that they will be phasing out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and replacing it with National Social Health Insurance Fund from July this year.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha who made the announcement on Thursday (February 2, 2023) said this will ensure health care access for all.
The CS noted that only a small percentage of Kenyans are enrolled to NHIF, hence denying many access to the crucial health care.
“I am targeting to have the National Social Health Insurance Fund rolled out by July. This fund will leave no one behind and every Kenyan will have access to health,” CS Nakhumicha stated.
The fund was previously named National Hospital Insurance Fund but it was renamed to fit the country’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.
NHIF has been undergoing reforms aimed at transforming it into a sustainable institution with members’ expectations at the center of operations.
Ongoing reforms include, the NHIF Amendment Bill 2021 currently in Senate, which seeks to positively transform the Fund’s operations.
Also being reviewed is the Benefit Package for Comprehensive Care, so as to ensure that Kenyans can access comprehensive care as members, to reduce the out-of-pocket payment for healthcare services.
According to the National Cancer Institute, NHIF supported approximately 50,000 cancer patients at a cost of sh 1.4 billion in the Financial Year 2019/2020 and sh 1.52 billion in the Financial Year 2020/2021.
Cancer accounts for 2.5 per cent of the total payout by NHIF per year.
