- President William Ruto's vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) gained momentum after Cabinet approved four bills for parliament's consideration
- These bills promise comprehensive changes to healthcare services and financing in Kenya
- Bills are primary healthcare, social health insurance, digital health services, and facility financing, which aim to reshape Kenya's healthcare landscape
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Nairobi - On Tuesday, August 29, the Cabinet approved four bills for onward transmission to Parliament that shall operationalise Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In the run-up to the 2022 presidential election, President William Ruto promised the delivery of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The bill introduced a raft of changes in the national medical insurance fund. The four recommendations are part of the plan enshrined in President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
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The Primary Healthcare Bill, 2023.
The president's commitment in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto was to employ and initiate payments for community health promoters and integrate preventive and promotive services.
The Primary Health Care Bill 2023 establishes a framework for delivering, accessing, and managing primary health care.
It establishes the framework for the 100,000 community health promoters to be commissioned by the president in October 2023 and outlines the services they will offer when they visit households.
The bill provides for the re-organisation of service delivery at the Primary Health Care levels, including dispensaries and health centres, where the government shall cater these services.
This means Kenyans seeking services at these levels can walk in and walk out without incurring any bill.
Social Health Insurance Bill, 2023
In the manifesto, the president also promised to provide social health insurance fund coverage for all Kenyans with no exclusions in the policy of 'leaving no one behind.'
He also committed to setting up the Emergency Medical Treatment Fund to cater to emergencies, cancer treatment and referrals, and set aside funds for strategic programs and retirees.
How NHIF will be replaced
This commitment will be actualised by the Social Health Insurance Bill 2023, establishing the authority to replace NHIF.
The bill designates three funds: a Primary Health Care fund to cater for preventive and promotive primary care services at the community, dispensary, and health centre levels, a Social Health Insurance Fund that shall cover services such as direct referrals, secondary and tertiary services and a Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund that provides for chronic illnesses like complications of diabetes, hypertension, cancer management and emergency treatment.
These funds will be managed by a single board and secretariat, based on the proposed 2.75% deductions on household income from formal and informal sectors.
The Digital Health Bill, 2023
The president also promised an integrated information communication and technology system to enhance telemedicine and health management information systems.
The Digital Health Bill 2023 provides a framework for digital health services, data governance, protection of personal health information, & service delivery through digital health interventions.
The Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2023
The head of state also promised to allocate dedicated funds for healthcare.
This commitment will be realised through the Facility Improvement Financing Bill 2023, which aims to ring-fence money generated in health facilities, ensuring a predictable, regular, and steady funding source for county health facility operations.
NHIF suspends contracts with 6 hospitals
On Wednesday, June 21, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) suspended medical cover provision contracts with six private health facilities linked to fraudulent and unethical health provision activities.
This comes few days after Kenyan television NTV aired an exposé showing how these facilities' staff members allegedly colluded with the public health cover provider staff members to ruin patients' lives and swindle money.
In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, June 21, the board commended NTV. This latter has been on the receiving end from Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, for its excellent work as a watchdog.
"The Board commends the NTV team for their extensive investigation and the exposé aired by the media house on Sunday, 18th June 2023. The exposé shed light on healthcare facilities involved in slamming vulnerable Kenyans, misusing public resources, and providing injurious healthcare services to patients," reads the statement by NHIF Acting CEO Samson Kuhora.
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