Kenyans unaware of NHIF gains

Most Kenyans don’t know the health-care benefits from the national insurer even as employers intensify calls for the new deductions to be based on basic pay.

The Federation of Kenya Employers said it would meet the National Hospital Insurance Fund board today over the deductions.

Federation boss Jacqueline Mugo also said employers want the benefits to be enjoyed by workers immediately and not after three months.

“We want the deductions based on basic pay and not gross pay as this will affect other statutory deductions,” Ms Mugo said on Tuesday during the federation’s western Kenya branch annual meeting at a Kisumu hotel.

The implementation of the new rates started last month and has been a constant source of debate with fear that the insurer may not handle properly the projected Sh2.3 billion monthly collections.
Kenyans the Nation spoke to said they were not aware of the benefits.

However, the hospital fund chief executive, Mr Simon ole Kirgotty, said: “There will be no increase in the daily bed compensation that the fund pays to hospitals,” he said.

While the old scheme paid only hospital bed charges for members, the new one has introduced cover for inpatient and outpatient to include spouses and children. It will also have inpatient services in private and high cost hospitals on a co-payment basis.

A worker at the fund’s Kisumu branch, who sought anonymity, said even the staff were not enlightened on the kind of benefits contributors were entitled to in the new scheme. Mr Michael Oloo from Siaya said he overheard the information over the radio and was in the hospital fund offices to know why he was being made to pay more.

“I am not getting the right information. The money is deducted from my pension and I want to understand the benefits so that when I get to a hospital, I know what I am entitled to,” he said.

Mr Oloo said he was only told that he would get outpatient services in the new scheme.

Mr John Olewe could not understand why the deductions began in April yet he would start benefiting in June. “What will happen if I become sick between now and June?” he asked.

According to Mr Kirgotty, beneficiaries will also be entitled to dialysis services at Kenyatta National and Moi Teaching and Referral hospitals at a discount.

The scheme will also cover vasectomy and tubal ligation.

“The new cover does not exclude any disease,” he said in an email response to the Nation yesterday.