Gov’t to pay all hospitals with NHIF claims below Ksh.10M - Ruto

The government will fully pay all health facilities with claims of Ksh.10 million and below contracted by the now defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

President William Ruto made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the claims affecting public, faith-based and private hospitals equate to 91 percent of the total facilities under NHIF.

He however noted that hospitals with claims above Ksh.10 million will undergo a verification exercise that should be completed within 90 days, after which a payment plan will be agreed on.

“The remaining 9 per cent of hospitals, with total claims of above Ksh.10 million, will be subjected to a verification exercise that should be completed within 90 days, after which a payment plan will be agreed on,” stated President Ruto.

“The Cabinet Secretary will gazette the verification committee within a week.”

In a bid to address the standoff in the newly launched Social Health Authority (SHA), the government also committed to settle all pending arrears on a monthly basis, noting that so far, Ksh.18.2 billion of all undisputed claims had been paid.

“Under the Social Health Authority, current claims will continue to be paid within a month. To date, SHA has paid all undisputed claims lodged since its inception on October 1, 2024, and up to January 31, 2025, totaling Ksh.18.2 billion,” added the President.

“The government is fully committed to providing Universal Health Coverage to every Kenyan without discrimination. I would like to assure all Kenyans that any challenges being experienced in the implementation of Taifa Care are being attended to and resolved.”

Since its inception in November last year, Taifa Care has faced criticism over system failures in hospitals, with a majority of Kenyans calling for its abolishment.

President Ruto has, however, defended the new digital healthcare system, saying it will curb the fraud that paralysed NHIF.

He maintained that most of the negative publicity on SHA comes from those who used loopholes to loot the NHIF, consuming up to 40 per cent of the fund.

According to Ruto, no amount of propaganda will force the government to go back to NHIF, and thus give crooks another chance to continue stealing public funds.