KENYA : President William Ruto has admonished men opposed to the new Social health Insurance Fund (SHIF) Scheme under the Social Health Authority.
Speaking in Kakamega, the visibly agitated head of State called out locals for opposing the new health insurance scheme.
'' Sasa Wewe Mwanaume unakataa SHIF, utapata Mimba lini'' Which loosely translates to 'Why are you men opposed to SHIF and you won't get Pregnant' Ruto Quipped. The New Health Scheme, which replaces National Health Insurance Fund, has received widespread objection.
The Sentiments, have invoked widespread Criticism on Social Media platforms. SHIF, not only covers Maternal Care but also Outpatient, inpatient and other health services, for both Men, Women and Children, rendering his outburst ignorant.
Additionally, The head of state added that the Government will be paying the monthly stipend for SHA, for Kenyans who can't afford to pay for the new health insurance scheme.
The government is collaborating with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) to map out health facilities across the country, ensuring they are staffed by professionals and offer quality health services to Kenyans.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr. Deborah Barasa stated that the mapping aims to identify areas where specific interventions are needed and provide necessary support.
“This is an initiative to ensure that we map out all our health facilities across the country and identify where specific interventions are needed and offer the necessary support,” said the CS.
By December, medication will be available at primary health care facilities, providing affordable and quality medicines for patients.
They have been meeting with support groups representing kidney patients undergoing dialysis and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy to understand their experiences and work together to ensure the success of SHA.
“We have come up with interventions to ensure that drugs are supplied to the last mile, that is, the primary health care facilities, and by December we will have medication at these centres, and patients will be able to access affordable and quality medicines,” said Dr. Barasa.
SHA Head of Benefits Design, Dr. Samson Kuhora, said that they are employing Proxy Means Testing (PMT), a model which uses the social economic factors within a household to estimate how much they are earning and then calculate the SHA premium of 2.75 percent of the household income for the informal or unemployed people.
Dr. Kuhora said that the PMT is used to establish income levels for households and it is meant to bring about equity, adding that there is a platform that allows a household to appeal if they feel there are issues with the calculations on their required payments.
“This means testing tools drive the key concept of SHA, which is the ability to pay where a household which is able to generate more income contributes more into the pool,” explained Dr. Kuhora.
“We are aware that some Kenyans have seasonal incomes like farmers, and we have been engaging the co-operatives as aggregators so that they can pay for their members and then they recover the money over time from sales of produce,” said Dr. Kuhora.
The new health Scheme, Social Health Insurance Fund, SHIF, was recently rolled out, replacing the National Health Insurance Fund, NHIF, in efforts to ensure all Kenyans have access to Health Services.
NHIF to SHIF : If you earn Sh 100,000 your Contribution rises From sh 1,700 to sh 2,750 monthly.
Non-Salaried Kenyans.
A household whose income is not derived from salaried employment shall pay an annual contribution to the Social Health Insurance Fund at a rate of 2.75% of the proportion of household income.
SHA, in collaboration with the Ministry of cooperatives and micro, small and medium enterprises development and other financing institutions, shall provide premium financing to non-salaried persons to enable them to pay their annual contributions within the intervals under which their income becomes available.
According to the Ministry of Health, Data will be collected on non-salaried households to determine and estimate the household’s ability to pay SHIF contributions.
The amount payable every month, shall not, in any case, be less than Kenya shillings three hundred, Ksh 300.
Pay Slips Deductions.
Salaried Kenyans shall pay a monthly statutory deduction contribution to the Social Health Insurance Fund at a rate of 2.75% of the gross salary or wage of the household.
An employer shall deduct the same contribution of a salaried contributor and submit the contribution to the Authority on behalf of the employee at the rate provided by the ninth day of each month.
For example, a person earning Ksh. 20,000 per month will now pay Ksh 550 monthly and Ksh. 6,600 annually.
At the same time someone earning Ksh. 100,000 per month, the contribution rises from the previous Ksh. 1,700 to Ksh. 2,750 monthly.
There is no cap on contributions under SHA; for instance, a person earning Ksh. 500,000 monthly will pay Ksh.13,750 each month, totaling Ksh.165,000 annually.
Any person who fails to pay any contribution in respect of any period on or before the day on which payment is due shall be liable to a penalty equal to two percent (2%) of the amount due.
To ensure compliance with the deductions, SHIFT Act makes it mandatory for all adult Kenyans to contribute, failure to which they will be denied government services.
Section 26(5) mandates SHIF registration empowering national and county governments to withhold services from those without membership, as part of financing universal health coverage (UHC).
You will be required to show proof of compliance to access government services.
“A person who is registrable as a member under this Act shall produce proof of compliance with the provisions of this Act on registration and contribution as a precondition of dealing with or accessing public services from the national and county governments," the law states in part.
Similarly all non-Kenyans residing in Kenya for a period exceeding 12 months are required to register mandatorily for SHIF under the Act. If one is staying in Kenya for less than 12 months, however, they need not register for SHIF but have travel health insurance coverage.