NHIF contributions to be transferred to Social Health Authority – Dr. Timothy Olweny

Social Health Authority (SHA) Chairperson Dr. Timothy Olweny has now sought to assure Kenyans that there is no cause for alarm regarding the transition that is presently going on in the health insurance sector.

Dr. Olweny, who spoke during an interview on Citizen TV on Thursday night,  said the contributions currently being made to the soon-to-be defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will automatically be transferred to SHA once it comes into operation.

He went ahead to state that SHA will begin onboarding fresh members in March this year for a period of 90 days, in accordance with the law.

The SHA boss also noted that there presently exists no lacuna in health insurance services as NHIF is still in operation, at the moment, while the transition process continues.

“Registration was supposed to be beginning of March, it is a very tight time frame because if you think about public participation for another two weeks, then going through the legislative bodies and getting the go ahead, and then the gazettement...its a very tight time frame, but that’s what we’re still working with,” he stated.

“The good thing for Kenyans is that at the moment services are still being provided, so I don’t think there should be an absolute urgency to convert from NHIF to SHA; we will do it within the time frame that we can, the key thing is to be able to do it right.”

Dr. Olweny further added: “Registration by law is supposed to be 90 days, so everybody including current NHIF members are supposed to re-register with the SHA in 90 days. Contributions can begin immediately; the good thing is that even NHIF contributions that have been made in advance are going to just be pro-rated on whatever new rate we agree upon in terms of the regulations. So contributions are also continuous, in that sense.”

He also clarified that SHA is a single body that houses three funds, as opposed to NHIF which was a fund itself and a body.

Dr, Olweny said SHA will manage the Primary Healthcare Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, as well as the Emergency Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.