The Kenyan National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has said the new health scheme for Kenyan civil servants launched early this year has taken off fairly well from its first audit done last month. NHIF Chief Executive Officer, Richard Kerich, said the negative perception that be deviled the scheme has changed with time.
“The main issues that were being raised, we realised, were how the scheme works, extent of cover among other issues which were purely communication issues,” he told Xinhua during a recent interview. “Many beneficiaries have started appreciating the scheme because they have now interacted with it and it is for their own good.” About 220,000 civil servants are beneficiaries of the new insurance scheme that covers life, funeral expenses and hospital charges.
The insurance covers treatment in public,mission and selected private hospitals. He said the scheme had been rolled out successfully with private hospitals registering the highest number of patients under the scheme followed by Mission hospitals and public hospitals respectively. “The reason for the low turnout in public hospitals has to do with infrastructural problems facing majority of them but which are currently being addressed,” he said.
The scheme covers government employees, their spouses and three children under the age of 18. The scheme includes members of the disciplined forces, but excludes teachers who are working on their own package with NHIF. Kerich said within the first month of its roll out, many civil servants visited the hospitals they were registered in.
“Therush was experimental, the civil servants feared that the scheme could fail to work but we expected it, when any new scheme takes effect, it is met by teething problems,” he told Xinhua . “We have, however, demonstrated that this scheme is working and it is here to stay. Our members should not be jittery since this is a well-thought plan,” he explained. Civil servants under the scheme are required to go for an annual medical checkup, the intention being to detect illnesses early and start treatment to avoid the attendant expenses.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants is in agreement with the insurance scheme, which took effect on January 1. The scheme is being funded partly by public servants surrendering their monthly fixed stipend which go directly to NHIF as premium. The government tops up their contributions. In the scheme, the family of a civil servant between Job Groups A and G – messengers,cleaners and clerks – will receive 200, 000 shillings in case of death and 40, 000 shillings in burial expenses.
Those between Job Groups R and T – permanent secretaries,directors and their deputies — will have 500, 000 shillings handed over to the families and burial expenses to the tune of 100, 000 shillings.
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