Teachers’ unions demand permanent solution as insurance crisis bites
Oyuu says it is painful seeing his colleagues suffer for being turned away by hospitals because their health premiums has not been paid
Teachers now want a permanent solution over their medical insurance to avoid being turned away over unremitted claims.
According to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu, there should be constant release of funds by the National treasury to their employer TSC who remits the money to MINNET who are contracted for the health scheme and pay their administrators.
Oyuu says it is painful seeing his colleagues suffer for being turned away by hospitals because their health premiums has not been paid.
“The periodical non-payment of medical covers for teachers needs to stop. We want permanent solutions to end this. There should be constant remittance of money to TSC by the national government then TSC pays MINNET who then pay their contracted administrators,” he stated.
“That will help cater to the suffering of teachers because we are not here to see teachers suffer,” he added.
The tutors union SG revealed that as of last month, hospitals like AGC Tenwek in Kericho, Siloam, Raele in Uasin Gishu and Kisii referral Hospital turned away the teachers over the pending bills owed to the hospitals by MAKL; the administrator contracted by MINNET.
The disruption of services to teachers not only affects those on referral cases but also the teachers’ normal outpatient services.
“The decision has been made following an outstanding payment by MAKL on services we already offered. The teachers will be required to pay in cash to ensure the sustainability of our hospital,” AGC Tenwek hospital management told local media.
The management revealed that they are also owed Sh120 million by SHA and Sh560 million by the defunct NHIF as of Friday last week.
According to officials from the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), if the Sh11 billion is not paid by the National Treasury, more hospitals will continue withdrawing from the Medical Scheme which will now leave teachers without a health insurance cover.
“We call for the immediate release of funds by the National Treasury to guarantee the provision of healthcare services to teachers. The funds were last sent in September 2024 after we had signed a return to work formula in August last year,” KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima stated.
The teachers said they cannot continue issuing ultimatums to the government when they know what is required of them.
Although sources earlier on indicated that even the National Police Service and Kenya prisons are affected by the same, NPS Spokesperson Michael Muchiri told the Informer Media Group that they have not received such complaints from officers though he did not confirm whether their insurance cover has been paid.
Recently, the Teachers Service Commission Boss Nancy Macharia stated that they are yet to receive from the national government while MINNET announced this week that after a consultation with TSC, 17 hospitals that are empaneled have been designated as referral hospitals.
The crisis faced by teachers comes almost a year after a petition was filed at the National Assembly over irregular dealings and illegal administration of the teacher’s medical insurance by the Consortium that was appointed by the Teachers Service Commission.
In his March 2024 petition, Amos Nyasani claimed that the medical service scheme has become a source of numerous complaints and poor services.
He claimed that MAKL negotiates with hospitals empaneled under the scheme at low capitation fees for patients to maximize profits.
Nyasani stated that teachers and officers have gone through a lot as the profits also fight to ensure they make profits.
“Hospitals empaneled in the scheme are to bill MAKL for payment but offer services for free to the teachers. With MAKL retaining the rights of admission, they negotiate with hospitals intending to maximize profits. This notwithstanding that the hospitals need to make profits from the low capitation from MAKL in the end, teachers and police have gone through a lot as hospitals outright denial of services or endless frustration like waiting for long and giving out to pay out of pocket,” Nyasani stated.
He stated that MAKL makes more profit by the lesser hospitals being empaneled in the scheme adding that the administrator convinced the hospitals to also offer services on credit.
The petitioner also stated that despite TSC releasing the funds once they receive from the national treasury, they owe billions to the hospitals.
“It is emerging that MAKL convinced hospitals it empaneled to offer medical services on credit. Details indicate they owe over Sh5 billion to the hospitals despite the government releasing full capitation to TSC,” he stated in the petition.
In 2015, medical insurance for teachers was halted after the government’s Medical allowances paid to teachers were when the government introduced the medical scheme that is administered by a consortium of insurance companies led by Minet Kenya Insurance Brokers.
Contributions from teachers’ salaries were pooled together to fund the scheme, with teachers contributing up to Sh3, 000 monthly. However, due to the delays in payments, the provision of services has remained inefficient.
