Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai on Thursday faulted Kenyans for failing to heed the Ministry’s directive on the mandatory registration to the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The PS, while addressing the press in Kilifi County, disclosed that some Kenyans faced challenges in accessing healthcare services because their employers were yet to remit their deductions under the new health scheme.
PS Kimtai also noted that most Kenyans were denied access to health services in both public and private hospitals because of ineligibility. He revealed the details of some Kenyans who sought healthcare services were not reflected in the new system.
“We were not late, they had been given a prior notice and when we looked at the system we noticed that they had not complied. We realised that these are some of the reasons they are being returned because there is evidence that they were not eligible,” the PS stated.
“If the employer has not sent details of the employee to show that there are members from whom they deduct 2.75 and shall be remitted to SHA, the system will reject them.”
The PS, therefore, urged Kenyans who had already enrolled in the new health insurance scheme to contact their respective employers and confirm whether their deductions had been remitted to the Social Heath Authority or not.
He also called on all registered Kenyans to review their health benefits under SHA to ensure they are not locked out of some of the benefits they are eligible for. "They need to ask if they are remitting their 2.75 per cent and they also need to look at the benefits packages that are provided under the Social Heath Authority," Kimtai stated.
In its recent announcement, the Ministry of Health revealed that about 12.5 million Kenyans had already been enrolled in the new health insurance scheme. According to Kimtai, the number included those who were automatically verified and transferred from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“As of today, October 6, 2024, we have registered a total of 12,704,548 members into the Social Health Authority. This number includes verified members who were under the defunct NHIF and have been transitioned to the Social Health Authority under Legal Notice No. 147 of 2024,” Kimtai commented.
Nonetheless, PS Kimtai's sentiments come amidst threats by public sector unions to stage demonstrations in the next fourteen days if the government fails to address the challenges reported by Kenyans and various stakeholders on the SHA rollout.
In their statement, released on October 8, the union leaders criticised the government for failing to resolve the crisis that hampered access to healthcare. The unionists claimed that the decision by the government to implement SHA hurriedly slowed the access to healthcare services previously accessible to the NHIF.
“SHA is deducting more from workers' salaries, but providing less. This is unacceptable, as workers are paying more for substandard services, threatening their well-being,” the leaders of the public unions stated.
