SHA boss explains why they are yet to move to eCitizen payment

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has said it entered into a special arrangement with the government to receive ongoing collections for the new medical scheme through a pay bill number for three months before reverting to the sanctioned e-Citizen.

SHA acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Ingasira says the authority has collected at least Sh14 billion in the past two and a half months, an amount expected to increase with the ongoing enrolment of more Kenyans into the scheme.

The exchequer allocated a total of Sh7 billion to SHA in the current budget.

Of this amount, Sh4 billion was designated for the Primary Healthcare Fund, Sh2 billion for the Emergency Care and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF), and Sh1 billion to support the enrolment of indigent individuals into the scheme.

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SHIF is funded by individual contributors, whereas Primary Healthcare Fund and ECCIF is by the exchequer.

By yesterday, 17 million people had registered to SHA that replaced National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), on October 1, 2024.

In an in-depth interview with The Standard yesterday, Ingasira was hopeful about the uptake of the new scheme and sought to assure Kenyans the money being collected will serve the intended purpose.

He said the three SHA designated funds are independent of one another, and are provided for in Social Health Insurance Act 2023.

The ECCIF and Public Healthcare Fund are run by a single account, whereas SHIF, whose collection is capped at 2.75 per cent, is manned by accounts in six banks.

The banks are Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), ABSA Bank Kenya, Co-operative Bank of Kenya, Sidian Bank, Equity Bank and Diamond Trust Bank.

“Money collected under SHIF account are held in six bank accounts and the accounts are known, they are open for verification, the money is there and safe. I re-assure you, SHI is safe, is in SHA account held in six banks and nowhere else,” Ingasira told The Standard.

Additionally, a pay-bill account (200222) is used to remit money to the scheme, an account issued to SHA by the government.

“In efforts to help us stabilise, the government gave us an exceptional exemption for three months to use the pay bill number and we shall revert to government pay-bill under E-Citizen. This was a special arrangement,” said Ingasira, adding:

“We shall revert back, this was to help the population in upcountry to avoid suffering the trouble of moving to banks. Very soon we shall close the pay bill number and get back to government E-Citizen.”

To boost collections, Ingasira said the ministry is working closely with other sister institutions like Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to get a view of all employers so that when payments are made, they are also done to SHIF.

“With measures in place, we should be able to collect enough to offer services that we have promised to the public,” said Ingasira.

The SHA boss maintained that there is transparency for money collected in the new scheme.

For instance, anyone seeking to pay to SHIF account has to interact with SHA system to enable them to generate payment account.

An individual, therefore, progresses to the bank where they are able to view the payment advice from their side and the bank receives money against that advice.

SHA operating system is, therefore, able to review the money that reflects in SHIF bank statements, and update members status. 

If payment is made by an employer, the money will be distributed to all employees in real time. The monies are collected and held in accounts held by SHA.

“Before an employer makes payment to the scheme, they must have a payroll product where all names on employees and amounts being covered from 2.75 per cent that forms the amount appearing on payment advise that is carried to the bank,” said Ingasira.

Banks on the other hand have been integrated to the SHA system, whereby they are able to update all employee accounts who are then able to access services, noted the official.

“Going forward, we are looking into enabling employees seeking services in contracted healthcare facilities to access their payment status and know whether their monthly contributions have been remitted and updated”.

SHA structures demand employers to remit employees deductions to the scheme by the ninth of every month, whereas individuals in informal employment pay at any time.

About three months after the roll-out of the scheme, Ingasira admitted teething problems exist and are being handled. 

He also said the government has been able to disburse Sh9 billion to hospitals in claims for smooth service delivery.

“One of the areas we had not done very well was in terms of sensitization on transition from NHIF to SHA. Being a festive season, most families have travelled upcountry and we are travelling and taking advantage of functions and have activations,” he said.

Top ministry officials have been dispatched across the country to sensitize the public about SHA. Legislators are also wooing the public to register, with activities such as sports and cultural ceremonies turning into key avenues for mobilisation.