Tough economic times push over five million Kenyans to stop NHIF contribution

ICT CS Joe Mucheru (left), NHIF chair Lewis Nguyai (right) and NHIF CEO Peter Kamunyo at Windsor, Kiambu, July 5, 2021. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is incurring huge losses after almost half of the registered members failed to remit their monthly contributions to the kitty.

NHIF Chairman Lewis Nguyai said the dormant accounts drain the scheme, noting that for every shilling received by a member, the insurer pays Sh2 per claim.

“People should know that having an NHIF card will come in handy someday. It’s just Sh500 per month and Sh17 per day and the benefits are massive,” he said.

Mr Nguyai said the scheme has registered 10.4 million families representing 24 million Kenyans but only 5.1 million families are active.

He was speaking yesterday during the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Bodaboda Safety Association of Kenya (BAK) for universal health coverage of riders in Nairobi.

The event was attended by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, government Spokesperson Cyrus Ogina, and BAK Chair Kevin Mubadi.

Nguyai said the State will cater for the first one million members who are unable to contribute the monthly charges, and urged the public to fund the remaining 4.1 million.

NHIF plans to roll out mass biometric registration that will run concurrently with the electronic claims system. Hospitals have up to July 11 to switch to the new system.

Nguyai said this year, there have been 19 reported fraudulent cases.