Recently, National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) acting boss sent out an internal memo with changes on guidelines to be implemented. A majority of Kenyans raised concerns with two particular items:
- Only one spouse will be covered;
- Only 5 children will be covered by one policy
Kenyans have described the new changes in guidelines as draconian, illegal, regressive and jokes among other adjectives.
A number of Kenyans raised their concerns on Twitter as follows:
NHIF becoming luxury? Kenyans fume over new regulations https://t.co/aZD0AbIdrV #NHIFregulations
— Dr. Mercy Korir (@DrMercyKorir) January 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/KResearcher/status/1215363827392491521
The new NHIF regulations are draconian and punitive and could be illegal. The management must recall those regulations and subject them to public participation and parliamentary scrutiny… pic.twitter.com/QsXGdeYZb6
— Dr. Oundo Mudenyo,PhD,MP (@OundoMudenyo) January 10, 2020
The NHIF rules announced yesterday are retrogressive because they will have a devastating impact on the access to health services in Kenya. The NHIF Board should go back to the drawing board. Develop rules that will facilitate Universal Healthcare as opposed to undermining it.
— Hon. Jaguar (@RealJaguarKenya) January 10, 2020
My view: Shut down the voluntary scheme; provide ALL poor and poor government (tax) funded NHIF cover with equal benefits to the formal contributors and ‘urge’ the informal non-poor to pay premiums. This voluntary scheme is a moral hazard, unsustainable sham!! https://t.co/qj9rSUGDIZ
— Dr Githinji Gitahi, MBS (@daktari1) January 9, 2020
What #NHIF is doing is just criminal. Even the most unscrupulous and shrewd insurance companies don't ask for a 12 months advance payment, talk less of a state insurer. The new regulations will see less people sign up and the consequences= more deaths.
— Catherine Amayi (@catherine_amayi) January 10, 2020
