Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha has explained the registration process into the Social Health Authority (SHA) that will be managing Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund and Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
In an interview on Sunday, June 5, Nakhumicha said Kenyans will need a smartphone and internet connectivity to register to SHA.
“If you have a smartphone, we will tell you how to register. If you are able to access the Internet, we will tell you how to login and register,” Nakhumicha said.
The CS further explained that community health promoters will help register people unable to navigate the process.
“You remember, we have deployed over 100,000 of them. If those are unable to do it, you can register at your nearest social health authority office,” she said.
Besides, Nakhumicha stated that Kenyans can also register at a nearest huduma services office.
“We are going to have a number of channels where one can be able to register. The only thing that you may need to visit your health facility for finalization is to take the biometrics,” Nakumicha said.
Nakhumicha-SHA is Mandatory
The CS emphasized that SHA is mandatory even for individuals with private insurance.
Nakhumicha maintained that the insurance will provide an equal chance for both the rich and poor in terms of healthcare coverage.
“This is mandatory. This is social health insurance and I want to assure Kenyans that this is almost comprehensive. Yes. For once we are going to equalize access, that then there is no first class and there is no cleaner and there is no body. We are all accessing the same benefit package,” the CS said.
Also Read: 5 Questions & Answers On New Health Fund Replacing NHIF
Hospitals Blocking NHIF Patients
Additionally, Nakhumicha said the proposal to have SHA is partly as a result of the hiccups with National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) that have persisted for a long time.
She however assured Kenyans that they are supposed to access health services and pleaded with hospitals to provide service.
He explained that the government will pay hospitals who provide services to NHIF patients.
“There is no need for tension. There is no need to think of how it is going to be. Please provide services. Once you provide services, your claims are verified and reconciled, you will be paid, because I know there is that tension that people are expecting that with this rollover, maybe we will not be paid,” Nakhumicha said.
Also Read: Govt Issues Stern Order to Private Hospitals Charging Patients with NHIF
Registration for NHIF Patients
The CS said NHIF patients will not be required to conduct fresh registration exercise for the SHA.
She stated that the patients will just have to confirm their details and make changes where necessary before moving to the system.
“So, what has happened is that the data that we already have of Kenyans who are already on NHIF have already been uploaded onto the system. This will just be an affirmation. For example, I key in my id number. It brings me my name, Susan Ahmed. It confirms that this is my dependent. I’m able to confirm tick, tick, tick, tick as I move up to the end of it,” she said.
However, the CS said non-NHIF patients will undergo a fresh registration exercise.
She revealed that the system has been linked to that of the National Registration Bureau to ease registrations which has access to most of the data.
“So, it will be more of click click and confirmation of your details. Equally, if you have dependents that you have added, you can include them,” she said.
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