Health CS Nakhumicha says SHIF deductions to begin next month

Every household in Kenya will contribute 2.75 per cent of its monthly income to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) beginning March this year.

According to Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, all laws and regulations are in place and deductions for the new scheme will begin in earnest.

Speaking in Bungoma County during the launch of a commitment to end the Triple Threat of HIV, teen pregnancies and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, CS Nakhumicha said the government has introduced an Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund that will see Kenyans in level five hospitals receive treatment, paid for by the national government.

SHIF is meant to phase out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and will scrap the current maximum of Ksh.1,700 contribution, exposing employed Kenyans to higher deductions.

“Pale nyuma bima ya afya yule mtu mwenye mapato ya chini alikuwa analipa Ksh.500 lakini sasa rais amenipatia directions...sheria tumemaliza, regulations tunamaliza jumatatu na mimi kwa mpango wangu ni kuanzia tarehe moja mwezi wa tatu kila Mkenya ambaye ako low level of income ataanza kulipa Ksh.300, kuna watu wengi sana wamekwama kule MTRH na lazima tuwe na solution solution...ni sisi wale wa mshahara kutoa 2.75% tulipie wale hawana uwezo,” she said.

CS Nakhumicha said the Kenya Kwanza government is keen on affordable and accessible healthcare for all Kenyans.

“In the new laws, primary health Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 hakuna malipo...hiyo ndio iko kwa sheria mpya...Level 4 ndio pale tunasema tulipie bima ya afya na hakikisho langu kwenu ni kwamba hiyo pesa mkikatwa I will put it to good use mambo ya WhatsApp Harambee ikwishe,” she said.

In the regulations on the new medical scheme, employed persons will pay 2.75 per cent of their gross salary to the kitty, while non-salaried Kenyans will pay 2.75 per cent of their earnings to the medical kitty.

At the county level, the executive committee member in charge of finance shall deduct and remit the contributions of employees in the county public service to the authority by the ninth day of each month.

In the new health fund, Kenyans earning a gross salary of Ksh.50,000 will pay Ksh.1,375 up from the current Ksh.1,200 while those earning over Ksh.100,000 will part with Ksh.2,750 up from Ksh.1,700.

The most affected are the high earners, those earning Ksh.500,000 in gross income will pay Ksh.13,750 up from Ksh.1,700 and those getting a gross salary of Ksh.1,000,000 will pay Ksh.27,500.