Temporary reprieve for patients after private hospital, NHIF inks a deal

Private hospitals have granted temporary reprieve to Kenyans who rely on the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) after agreed to continue offering medical service.

This comes following a meeting between officials of the Ministry of Health, NHIF and stakeholders in the private and faith-based health sector.

Through a statement, NHIF Chief Executive Officer Peter Kamunyo said that the Fund had reached a temporary consensus to offer services after an extension of healthcare providers’ contracts until June.

“During this period the Fund shall undertake bi-weekly stakeholder engagements on the benefit package for a period of two months to end on 31th March 2022,” stated Kamunyo.

“This will further allow the formulation of the new regulations under the NHIF (Amendment) Act No. 1 of 2022 noting that the process requires a parliamentary sitting for approval.”

He further noted that new contracts will take effect on July 1, adding that the parties will have by then standardized repayment plans beneficial to every party as well as patients.

Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said service delivery is a 50-50 arrangement between the private and public sector.

“We have a long relationship with the private sector since NHIF was established. We are happy therefore that we have reached an agreement to ensure that services continue uninterrupted until this issue is sorted amicably,” she said.

The CAS added that the cost of healthcare must be affordable to all Kenyans.

“This is important because the President is keen on seeing Kenya move to Universal Health Coverage and NHIF is key to delivering it,” she pointed out.

Last week private hospitals had announced that they would bar all patients depending on the Fund from accessing services beginning February this year, citing failure of renewal of an agreement between them and NHIF.

Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) Secretary General Timothy Olweny said they came to a decision to boycott NHIF due to new terms of engagement that do not favor their course.

“Come Monday, January 31, which marks the end of our seven-month extension of the contract with NHIF, we, the private hospitals, won’t be in a position to offer services to patients depending on NHIF,” Olweny said on Friday.

He explained that during the last review which already ended in June 2021, NHIF had revised downwards the amount of money it pays for claims lodged by private facilities.