The Ministry of Health (MoH) has responded after Kenyans raised complaints that they were forcefully migrated from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) without their consent.
In a statement on Thursday, October 3, MoH acknowledged that it had received complaints on the enrollment without consent stating that the legal notice 147 of 2024 provided for the transition of all registered and verifiable NHIF members into SHA.
“The Ministry has received inquiries regarding the transition of existing NHIF members to SHA. We wish to clarify that the laws as per legal notice 147 of 2024 provided for the transition of all registered and verifiable NHIF members into SHA,” the statement read in part.
“This process ensures continuity of coverage, and members are encouraged to verify, update their profiles, and add dependents through our official SHA channels at www.sha.go.ke.”
Kenyans Complain of Automatic SHA Migration
Kenyans across the country have been met with confusion after they received a text message notifying them that their accounts had been automatically migrated to SHA a day after it was launched.
However, this notification comes just days after an official SHA post notification on September 30, 2024, clearly stated that individuals needed to provide opt-in consent for migration.
Also Read: Kuria Reveals Solutions for Hospitals Rejecting SHA Patients
This contradiction heightened concerns among Kenyans who are already wary of the transition from NHIF to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) under the SHA.
The conflicting messages between the automated migration text and SHA’s earlier tweet, which informed Kenyans they needed to opt-in for registration, have raised concerns over data privacy.
Kenya’s Data Protection Act mandates that personal data can only be processed or transferred with the individual’s informed consent, except in cases where a lawful exception applies.
This prompted critical questions about whether the transfer of NHIF members’ data to SHA adhered to legal requirements, particularly regarding the need for explicit consent from the individuals affected.
Also Read: Govt Explains How SHA System Will Eliminate 3 million NHIF Ghost Workers
Other Directives Issued by the Ministry
The Ministry also said that their technical teams are working 24 hours to address the increased user demand on various systems and enhance service delivery and Kenyans will keep experiencing smoother services as they progress.
This comes after members of the public also raised complaints about the potential risks the transition poses as patients seeking dialysis and cancer services were told to pay in cash or turned away. The NHIF contributions could not cater for their sessions.
Furthermore, the government has directed all healthcare providers and facilities across the country to adopt SHA to avoid disruptions in service delivery.
At the same time, MoH said that all public health facilities and over 60% of private health facilities have been contracted by SHA and should provide health service seamlessly.
An updated list of these contracted health facilities is available on the SHA website, which will be continuously updated to reflect changes and additions.
For instant responses and inquiries, Kenyans have been advised to reach out to toll-free customer care number on 719.
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