NHIF tells members to choose hospitals for outpatient treatment
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer Simon ole Kirgotty Macharia addresses participants during the launch of biometric registration of civil servants medical cover at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on August 27, 2015. NHIF has asked its members to select hospitals that they can easily access for outpatient services. PHOTO | JAMES EKWAM | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Members also have a chance to change the health facility if they are dissatisfied with the services.
- The official said this was the first time self-employed people, nearly two million, were involved in the exercise.
Kenyans have up to Friday to identify a health facility to access outpatient services through the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
The national medical insurer has asked it’s 5.8 million members to select hospitals that they can easily access as well as their dependants covered in the scheme.
Members also have a chance to change the health facility if they are dissatisfied with the services.
This can be done by either visiting the facility of choice where they will find the selection forms or visit the nearest NHIF office where they can choose a health centre.
According to NHIF’s senior public relations officer, Mr Gerald Kainga, a list of facilities is available on the NHIF website and in all their offices.
Speaking to the Nation by phone, he said: “They will need to come with a copy of their national identification cards and will then fill in basic information about themselves and their family members. Once registered, they will access outpatient services almost immediately.”
Mr Kainga said this was driven by past experiences where some members would face challenges in accessing services and thus there “was a need to have a pool of people seeking services from hospitals and health facilities close to them to ease service delivery.”
“Pick a facility that you can go to from wherever you are. A family can select different hospitals because we know of families where the father is in a different county than the wife or children can be in a boarding school elsewhere. But, you will only access services where you are registered,” he added.
Mr Kainga said in cases of emergency or hospitalisation, a member can seek services from any NHIF accredited facility as registration only applies to outpatient services.
The registration will not be extended and a similar exercise can only happen after three months.
The official said this was the first time self-employed people, nearly two million, were involved in the exercise.
