In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…
- The government has started migrating NHIF accounts to the Social Health Authority (SHA) to streamline healthcare services under the Universal Health Coverage agenda.
- Concerns have arisen among Kenyans about consent and data transparency, although the migration has significantly increased registrations from 2.5 million to 12 million.
The government has begun the process of migrating National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) accounts to a newly developed platform under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
This initiative is part of the government’s efforts to streamline healthcare services in alignment with the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, though it has sparked concerns among the public.
Many Kenyans have received messages stating, “Your NHIF account has been migrated successfully to Social Health Authority.
To update your profile, dial 147#, visit sha.go.ke, or any authorized SHA agent.” The primary goal of this migration is to centralize health coverage for citizens, promoting a more integrated approach to healthcare services.
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However, the transition has drawn criticism for its execution, particularly regarding issues of consent and data transparency.
Numerous Kenyans have expressed unease on social media about the migration occurring without their prior consent. Critics have noted that the NHIF has previously faced challenges with ghost members, and the automatic transfer of data to the SHA could undermine efforts to clean the registry and validate membership information.
Concerns have also been raised about whether this migration will compromise the goal of maintaining a reliable and accurate health insurance database, as it allows members to re-register anew.
In September, only about 2.5 million Kenyans had registered under the new system, indicating some resistance to the changes.
However, as of October 1, registrations surged to 12 million, with approximately 9.9 million individuals having migrated from the NHIF.
This significant increase suggests that the automatic migration of NHIF data played a crucial role in driving up registration numbers.
Following this transition, Kenyans are expected to contribute 2.75% of their income to the SHA, marking a new chapter in the country’s approach to healthcare financing.