NHIF Announces Changes in Wake of Covid-19

National Health and Insurance Fund (NHIF) Offices Building in Nairobi. Monday, November 18, 2019.
National Health and Insurance Fund (NHIF) Building in Nairobi. Monday, November 18, 2019.
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke

The National Hospital Insurance Fund has extended the deadline for outpatient hospital selection to Thursday, April 30. 

The deadline extension comes after services in the country have slowed down due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

NHIF had announced the public should register afresh their outpatient hospital even if this was done previously before January this year.

National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) acting Chief Executive Officer Nicodemus Odongo speaking before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on October 15, 2019.
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) acting Chief Executive Officer Nicodemus Odongo speaking before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on October 15, 2019.
Daily Nation

In a press release on Friday, April 3, NHIF announced the deadline extension, "The exercise of choice of facility has now been extended to 30th April 2020 to allow those who had not chosen afresh between January and March 2020 to do so."

The move is after a scam that involved healthcare providers claiming to have performed various procedures during surgeries when in fact they had not.

The insurance fund also revealed their fresh registration, "To facilitate continuous improvement of services and communication to members, NHIF embarked on updating members contact details as well as choosing their outpatient facilities afresh.

"This exercise has been running since January 2020. The Fund also seeks to have beneficiaries update their choice of outpatient facilities afresh for purposes of data cleaning for efficient service delivery."

Those who are yet to chose their new outpatient facility will continue to be served at their current outpatient facilities until the exercise is completed.

Following the government directive on social distancing due to the Coronavirus, NHIF has urged the public to utilize their online services.

"NHIF reminds the public to use the provided Customer Self-Care Platforms including the use of USSD code *155# on all mobile telephone networks.

"NHIF mobile app (My NHIF) and our website to choose their preferred outpatient healthcare facilities."

The state corporation is trying to streamline its services after it admitted the fund was cash-strapped back in February.

A photo showing National the Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) headquarters in Nairobi.
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) headquarters in Nairobi.
Photo
NHIF
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