The Ministry led by Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa broke down the amount, stating that Ksh1.5 billion will be disbursed this week to settle claims owed to healthcare facilities.
The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday, October 15 that it will disburse Ksh4.5 billion to settle claims owed to healthcare facilities.
In a statement, the Ministry led by Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa broke down the amount, stating that Ksh1.5 billion will be disbursed this week to settle claims owed to healthcare facilities.
Further, an additional Ksh3 billion will be cleared next week, bringing the total to Ksh4.5 billion. Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Harry Kimtai confirmed that all claims owed by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) will be fully paid, stating, “We are optimistic that we will settle all the claims.”
Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai speaking to an NTV reporter on October 15, 2024. /MINISTRY OF HEALTH
A committee will be established to oversee the payment process, ensuring transparency. Kimtai also noted that NHIF liabilities now fall under the Social Health Authority (SHA), which has implemented a fully digitised claims portal.
As of Tuesday, the Ministry disclosed that over Ksh100 million worth of claims had been recorded, with the system enabling real-time monitoring. The PS assured that all outstanding claims will be settled within 90 days.
Additionally, the Ministry indicated that SHA is digitising health records and will distribute tablets to healthcare workers. “This will transform our healthcare system,” said Kimtai.
He highlighted the adoption of e-contracting for healthcare facilities, replacing the previous manual system, and urged facilities to establish customer service desks to help Kenyans register with SHA.
E-contracting services above typically refer to the process of creating, negotiating, and managing contracts electronically, using digital platforms. The government added that the system will replace the old manual system that it had previously been using.
SHA was rolled out on October 1, 2024, to replace the defunct NHIF. So far, Kenyans have decried problems registering for the system possibly due to website traffic on the AfyaYangu portal.
The government has been adamant in urging Kenyans to incorporate themselves into the new health scheme, going to the point of migrating their NHIF accounts to the new system, a matter which sparked an immediate uproar with Kenyans accusing SHA of violating data privacy laws.
Currently, over 13 million Kenyans have been registered under the new scheme.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Deborah Barasa during a meeting on September 24, 2024. /MINISTRY OF HEALTH