President William Ruto has issued three orders on the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) accrued debts.
In a statement, the head of state has ordered for the payment of Ksh10 million claim from 91 percent of the hospitals that were contracted by NHIF.
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Additionally, he has indicated that the remaining 9 percent of hospitals, with total claims above Ksh10 million will be subjected to a verification exercise.
After 90 days, the president has explained that payment plan will be agreed upon for the remaining facilities.
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Furthermore, he has ordered that the Health Cabinet secretary Deborah Barasa, gazette the verification committee for the payment within a week.
“The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) debts have been a heavy burden on healthcare facilities and providers for the past 10 years. This has had a devastating effect on the provision of health services in public, faith-based, and private hospitals.
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“By the time NHIF was wound up on November 22, 2024, it had a whopping debt of KSh33 billion, affecting the ability of health facilities to provide services under the Social Health Authority (SHA),” stated Ruto.
Also Read: Uncertainty for NHIF Employees as SHA Drops More Than Half of Them
Ruto on What to Do Moving Forward
At the same time, Ruto said that the current claims under the Social Health Authority (SHA) will continue to be paid within the following month.
According to Ruto, SHA has paid all undisputed claims lodged since its inception on October 1, 2024.
“To date, SHA has paid all undisputed claims lodged since its inception on October 1, 2024, and up to January 31, 2025, totaling KSh18.2 billion,
“I would like to assure all Kenyans that any challenges being experienced in the implementation of Taifa Care are being attended to and resolved,” he explained.
Also Read: Health CS Admits Ksh104 Billion SHA Irregular Payment
RUPHA Demands on NHIF
Earlier, Private health facilities demanded that government settles NHIF arrears before paying SHA claims. The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) and Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) said that 55 per cent of the facilities want NHIF arrears to be considered first.
RUPHA and KAPH said data from health service providers show 26 per cent of private facilities prefer simultaneous payment of both NHIF and SHA claims.
They said 19 per cent support prioritizing SHA claim payments while deferring NHIF arrears.
“NHIF arrears remain a critical concern, with the outstanding amount severely impacting healthcare providers’ ability to sustain operations. Many facilities have had to take on commercial loans at high interest rates to remain afloat while waiting for funds owed by the government,” RUPHA and KAPH said.
On the other hand, the CS Deborah Barasa acknowledged Auditor General Nancy Gathungu report on Social Health Authority (SHA) discrepancies of at least Ksh104 billion.
CS Barasa said the issues will be addressed in Parliament if she is given a chance.
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