Parliament Health Committee approves SHA
The Parliament Health Committee has approved the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme after confirming that its concerns about the multi-billion health digitization project had been addressed.
The Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa and Principal Secretary Mary Muriuki gave a status update before the rollout of SHA on October 1.
The National Assembly Health Committee had raised concerns about the accuracy of the Multisectoral Tracking Index (MTI) system and the criteria employed to establish the contributions in informal sector households.
The Ministry of Health collaborated with SHA and carried out a pilot project in eight counties within the informal sector to assess the 2.75 percent income contribution. A sample size of 2000 Kenyans were subjected to the test across eight counties.
Health CS Deborah Barasa defended the system under the new national insurance fund, stating that it is tamper-proof.
“The system and the structure are in place and we are ready for rollout. We may face some teething problems including the digitization and human personnel but we will crawl until we get there,” she said.
The Ministry of Health Director General, Patrick Amoth, defended the accuracy of the MTI system, stating that the parameters and data used to calculate household contributions are reliable.
“We are confident on the accuracy level of the MTI system which we believe is 96 percent accurate. The MTI we have conducted will not overestimate the premium of those in the poor households,” said Amoth.
Members of Parliament are seeking clarification on how the majority of citizens will be integrated into the system. They have called for gradual implementation of the new health system to avoid potential chaos.
Hospitals are mandated to maintain the provision of kidney dialysis, cancer, and maternity services amid the ongoing transition from the NHIF to SHA. In a statement released on Monday, Social Health Authority (SHA) CEO Elijah Wachira issued a directive that no patient should be denied access to dialysis and cancer treatment.
He additionally ordered that maternity services be provided in level 2 and 3 facilities. This follows a wave of public concern expressed on social media on Monday about the potential risks associated with the transition from NHIF to SHA.
“No member will be denied Dialysis and Cancer services, Maternity services should not be denied in KEPH level 2 and 3, and Active Managed schemes should continue accessing services,” read the statement.
Wachira reassured the public by clarifying that hospitals are required to fulfill their contractual obligations under the new SHA system, ensuring that no patient will be asked to pay for essential services.
