Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has said that the National Treasury will release Sh1billion to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) this week for outstanding payments after hospitals opted for cash settlements.
Speaking during her tour of health facilities in Nairobi County today, Nakhumicha stated that this follows discussions with Treasury on how to settle debts owed to NHIF.
“We will ensure that the transition from NHIF to SHIF is as smooth as possible. The transition committee has already developed a roadmap outlining the transition process, there will be no interruption of services during this transition. She said.
However, the CS urged patients to maintain regular clinic attendance and called on Governors to promptly address any emerging crises.
Confirming the continued functionality of all referral hospitals, she encouraged the public to utilize these facilities for quality care and advocated for enrollment in the Social Health Authority to facilitate a smooth transition from NHIF to SHIF.
Last week, hospitals under the Kenya Association of Private Hospital (KAPH) stopped offering services to National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) beneficiaries over unpaid debt.
KAPH had issued a 7-day demand notice for NHIF/SHA to release all funds owed as per the contractual agreements.
The association’s chairperson Eric Musau stated that KAPH had engaged NHIF on several occasions to discuss the delayed payments of their member hospitals.