The Social Health Authority (SHA) has revealed that it is in the process of reviewing the cancer care benefit under the insurance to expand the cancer treatment benefit.
The move was announced at a time when cancer patients and advocacy groups have been protesting the high cost of cancer treatment in the country and the limited financial support they have been receiving from the authority.
The patients, who held protests on Tuesday, October 7, outside the SHA headquarters, said that the government should review the SHA's medical coverage to match the expenses they face, including the costs of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and medication.
The current Ksh550,000 allocated by the authority for treatment is not enough to cater to the high treatment cost involved, according to the patients.
In a statement on Thursday, September 9, the authority's CEO, Mercy Mwangangi, announced that the review of the package is being undertaken by the Benefit Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel (BPTAP), which has been mandated to advise on the scope of healthcare benefits offered by the authority.
"Our core objective, as mandated under the law, is to provide a framework for improved health outcomes and financial protection in line with the right to health and universal health coverage," Mwangangi stated.
"BPTAP, recently gazetted, is mandated to continuously review and advise on the scope of health benefits. The panel is currently reviewing the oncology package to increase the limit for cancer treatment benefits to ensure more comprehensive coverage," SHA added.
Mwangangi stressed that SHA is willing to collaborate with cancer advocacy groups to architect strategies on how to include and expand health benefits and Tariffs in the authority.
The authority is expected to have a meeting with Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO) representatives next week to brainstorm on how to serve cancer patients better.
Mwangagi further affirmed that the authority will continue working jointly with the health stakeholders, such as hospitals, professional associations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, to lower the treatment costs of cancer treatments and medications.
"SHA welcomes the Memorandum from the Kenya Network of Cancer Organisations (KENCO) in full, demonstrating the significant progress we have made as a country in this reform agenda in informing our benefits and tariff packages," the authority stated.
"The government's broader objective is to reduce the cost of oncology care. To this end, SHA already increased the oncology package limit from Ksh 400,000 to Ksh 550,000in April this year," it added.
