Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale struck a new deal with private medical insurers to strengthen access to affordable, quality healthcare.
In a high-level meeting at Afya House on Monday, August 18, Duale hosted the top leaders for a strategic engagement to bridge the financial gap in healthcare.
Duale rallied CEOs of various medical insurance companies for reforms that are fair for all Kenyans, including getting private insurers to extend benefits beyond SHA’s package and co-finance chronic care.
According to Duale, the talks produced a series of groundbreaking resolutions aimed at stamping out fraud, aligning private and public systems, and accelerating the journey towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
We agreed to establish a Joint Anti-Fraud Action to crack down on malpractice in the sector and strengthen collaboration with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Kenyans.
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Agreements with Private Insurers
Under the new arrangement, private insurers will extend coverage to include services outside SHA’s basic package and share the costs of managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.
Additionally, they will be linked to SHA’s digital claims system to improve transparency, reduce fraud, and speed up reimbursements.
Furthermore, accreditation of facilities will be harmonized to ensure that patients receive the same quality of care across both public and private providers.
Insurance CEOs also called on the government to strengthen the National Health Registry and fast-track the establishment of a drug pricing regulatory framework to help curb runaway medical costs.
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CEOs Call for Govt Support
Duale emphasized that this collaboration will bring together the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), SHA, and the Ministry of Health under a Public–Private Collaborative Framework.
“The CEOs urged support in strengthening the National Health Registry and establishing a regulatory framework for drug pricing.”
“I reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to tackling structural challenges through legal, institutional, and data-driven reforms and called for a Public–Private Collaborative framework involving MoH, SHA, private insurers, and IRA,” added Duale.
The meeting brought together top government officials, including PS for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga, SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, DHA CEO Eng. Anthony Lenayara and KMPDC CEO Dr. David Kariuki.
On the insurers’ side, industry leaders present included Jubilee Health Insurance CEO Njeri Njomo, AAR Insurance CEO Justine Kosgey, and Old Mutual CEO Japeth Ogalloh, among others.
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