Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has announced that the state will phase out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and replace it with the National Social Health Insurance Fund.
The CS who made the announcement on Thursday, February 2 stated that National Social Health Insurance Fund will be effective from July this year.
She added that the health insurance will guarantee access to health care for all.
Moreover, CS Nakhumicha noted that only a small percentage of Kenyans are enrolled to NHIF, thence denying many people access to the crucial health care.
“I am targeting to have the National Social Health Insurance Fund rolled out by July. This fund will leave no one behind and every Kenyan will have access to health,” the CS stated.
In addition, NHIF has been undertaking reforms to transform it into a sustainable institution with members’ expectations at the center of operations.
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Some of the ongoing reforms include the NHIF Amendment Bill 2021 currently in the Senate, which seeks to positively transform the Fund’s operations.
Similarly, the Benefit Package for Comprehensive Care is also under review. It is mean to ensure Kenyans can access comprehensive care as members, to reduce the out-of-pocket payment for healthcare services.
According to the National Cancer Institute, NHIF supported approximately 50,000 cancer patients at a cost of Sh 1.4 billion in the Financial Year 2019/2020 and Sh 1.52 billion in the Financial Year 2020/2021.
Furthermore, cancer accounts for 2.5 per cent of the total payout by NHIF per year.
