SHIF: Kenyans Raise Concerns Over Low Benefits Under New Scheme

Kenyans are up in arms about the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which will be implemented on Tuesday, October 1.[…]CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE▶

Questions remain about the effectiveness of the social health medical insurance programme, as benefits for Kenyans are envisaged to be far less than those of private medical insurance plans.

For example, workers earning KSh 100,000 per month in take-home pay will have 2.75% deducted from their income.

This means they will have to pay KSh 2,750 monthly to the medical programme or KSh 33,000 yearly. The new model reimburses individuals seeking maternity care KSh 10,000 for a typical delivery and KSh 30,000 for a cesarean section.

Citizen Digital reported that, on the other hand, other insurers with comparable salary contribution scales offer an extra KSh 20,000 for a cesarean section and an additional KSh 20,000 for normal delivery.

The new scheme offers KSh 2,240 per day for inpatient services, up to 180 days per household annually. However, other insurers usually provide coverage of up to KSh 500,000 per year, significantly more than the current model offers.

At the same time, beneficiaries of optical care receive KSh 950 for spectacles with a limit of KSh 1,000 yearly cap per household.

However, other providers offer between KSh 7,000 and KSh 10,000 for comparable coverage. TUKO.co.ke sampled some tweets:

The Ministry of Health  began the registration of all Kenyans into the SHIF scheme in July 2024. Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Deborah Barasa urged all Kenyans to register for the new health cover before September 30, ahead of the rollout on October 1, 2024.

The Social Health Authority (SHA), which takes over the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) management, said no one will be able to register after the September deadline…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>