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A specialist attends to a patient undergoing dialysis. The decision comes as relief to the more than two million NHIF members, whose monthly contribution rose by up to 1,000 per cent without a corresponding increase in the range of benefits. PHOTO | FILE
By SANDRA CHAO-BLASTO, [email protected]
Posted Tuesday, August 16 2016 at 09:45
IN SUMMARY
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[li]Nairobi’s Mater Hospital has announced that NHIF cardholders can now access MRI diagnostic services and dialysis at the facility while Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan and MP Shah Hospital said patients can now use NHIF membership cards to access chemotherapy and kidney treatment.[/li][li]The move is expected to increase access to specialised treatment in private hospitals and reduce the burden on the few public referral hospitals who have been dealing with long queues of patients.[/li][/ul]
Kenya’s top private hospitals have started offering National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) contributors treatment for special medical conditions, unlocking a year-long standoff that had frustrated the public insurer’s plan to increase the range of services available to its members with last year’s steep increase in monthly contributions. The decision comes as relief to the more than two million NHIF members, whose monthly contribution rose by up to 1,000 per cent without a corresponding increase in the range of benefits. NHIF had, for instance, promised contributors the inclusion of outpatient services and specialised treatment such as cancer therapy and kidney dialysis on the menu of services available but most upmarket private hospitals had rejected the plan following differences over the pricing of the services. Nairobi’s Mater Hospital has announced that NHIF cardholders can now access MRI diagnostic services and dialysis at the facility while Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan and MP Shah Hospital said patients can now use NHIF membership cards to access chemotherapy and kidney treatment. The move is expected to increase access to specialised treatment in private hospitals and reduce the burden on the few public referral hospitals who have been dealing with long queues of patients. NHIF acting chief executive Geoffrey Mwangi said that the agency had concluded its long-drawn negotiations with the top-tier hospitals, including Nairobi Hospital, MP Shah, Mater and Nairobi West to offer treatment under the new scheme.
“It is a benefit package we are offering all our members to help them manage these chronic conditions. The hospitals have been enlisted and given offer letters depending on the facilities that they have,” Mr Mwangi said, adding that not all hospitals can offer MRI diagnosis, cancer and kidney treatment.
Mr Mwangi said that while contributors do not need to subscribe to one facility to access the treatment, “it was expected that patients would use the same hospital once they begin treatment.” To access the services, contributors have to make a formal application to the NHIF indicating which hospital they would like to be treated from. The NHIF will then conduct a search of the member’s records and upon completion issue the hospital with a letter of guarantee allowing the contributor to access the treatment from the facility. In addition to the pre-authorisation form, patients are also required to present their NHIF and national identity (ID) cards to the hospitals at the beginning of the treatment.The statutory medical scheme, which is compulsory for all formal sector workers, collects up to Sh1.9 billion a month. New contributors to the NHIF scheme can only access medical services with the membership cards three months after enlisting.