National

By Maryann Muganda | 5 hours ago

The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) has introduced a three-year Diploma in Health Insurance Management, to support the recently rolled out Social Health Authority's (SHA), which has been experiencing what the government terms as teething problems.

The announcement came during a high-level stakeholder engagement conference in Nairobi, focusing on "Strengthening Health Insurance for Sustainable Health Care Access," attended by key government officials and healthcare leaders.

In a statement, Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr Deborah Barasa, highlighted the SHA's progress, revealing that in just two months, the authority has enrolled 15.3 million Kenyans, including a seamless transition of 5.9 million members from the previous National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). 

"I urge all stakeholders to champion public awareness of the SHA, ensuring that every Kenyan understands its benefits," She said.

The new diploma program responds to critical workforce needs in health insurance management, according to the CS. KMTC, with its extensive network of 87 campuses across 45 counties, aims to equip professionals with specialised skills in claims processing, fraud detection, and digital health tools.

Key conference resolutions emphasised four critical areas such as policy and regulation, personnel capacity, expanding healthcare access and digital Innovations.

Health Principal Secretary, Mary Muthoni Muriuki, underscored the importance of partnerships across various sectors. 

"The success of sustainable healthcare access hinges on robust partnerships," she said. 

The government has already disbursed Kshs 3.7 billion to healthcare facilities, settling pending claims and ensuring continued service delivery. 

KMTC's role has been particularly highlighted, with the institution graduating over 21,000 skilled professionals annually. The new Health Insurance Management diploma represents a strategic response to the evolving healthcare financing landscape.

The Social Health Authority's digital platforms, including www.sha.go.ke and a USSD code (*147#), have been instrumental in facilitating registrations and streamlining processes.