Kenyans who have overpaid or sent wrong premium contributions to the Social Health Authority (SHA) will now have a chance to appeal for refunds, the government has announced.
SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi announced on Thursday that the authority had enrolled the new system specifically targeting Kenyans who pay their premiums through mobile money options.
To be eligible to access the refunds, SHA announced that users will be required to submit a copy of their mobile money transaction statements, national identification cards or passport, and a letter addressed to the CEO of the authority.
SHA premiums are mandatory contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), calculated as 2.75 per cent of household income, with a minimum of Ksh300 for salaried employees.
To be able to submit the requests, affected users will then be required to send the scanned copies of the documents to the authority via email or drop off the original documents at the nearest SHA County Office or Huduma Centre countrywide.
Kenyans using the service have been advised to ensure that the documents submitted are clear and legible.
Additionally, Mwangangi maintained that refunds will only be processed after verification of the submitted details.
Members with challenges using the service have been advised to visit SHA offices or directly contact the authority via their toll-free number, 147.
Health Sector Reforms
Meanwhile, the changes come at a time when Governors have launched a fresh onslaught on Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale with a set of demands and reforms in the health sector.
The Council of Governors (CoG) expressed outrage over continued delays from the Social Health Authority (SHA) in disbursing funds to counties for health services rendered and threatened to paralyse its usage at the devolved units.
Speaking on Wednesday, Governors also criticised SHA over delayed claims payments, pushing public hospitals into Ksh32 billion debt and crippling services in the counties.
The CoG also accused the Ministry of Health of allegedly making decisions that affect counties without any consultation, saying that while upgrading more hospitals from Level 5 to Level 6 may improve service delivery, it also comes with significant consequences.
