‘SHIF will deny Kenyans access to healthcare,’ KMPDU boss Atellah says

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah has condemned the Tuesday roll out of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

In a statement to newsrooms, Dr. Atellah tore into the new national medical insurance scheme, labeling it a sinking ship that will deny Kenyans access to critical healthcare services.

"SHIF is a capsizing ship! There is too much bilge water for it to sail. We have repudiated the Act from November 2023, with one message: it will deny Kenyans access to healthcare," he said in the statement.

Further, Dr. Atellah raised concerns about the government's decision to transition to SHIF from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), emphasizing that the previous medical scheme offered better benefits than other private sector insurance plans.

"A social insurance law with a co-payment component is a fraud. We have consistently warned that the comprehensive medical package provided by NHIF was superior to all other private sector insurance plans," stated the KMPDU boss.

"The stoppage was designed to benefit private insurance companies. For civil servants, this is a double robbery and tragedy that we cannot take lying down."

Dr. Atellah likewise condemned SHIF's increased deductions that will considerably set back taxpayers.

With the introduction of SHIF, Kenyans will be required to pay 2.75 percent of their income. Employed individuals will pay this monthly, while those in the informal sector will make an annual payment in one instalment.

For example, a person earning Ksh.20,000 per month will now pay Ksh.6,600 annually. For someone earning Ksh.100,000 per month, the contribution rises from Ksh.1,700 to Ksh.2,700 monthly.

There is no cap on contributions; for instance, a person earning Ksh.500,000 monthly will pay Ksh.13,750 each month, totalling Ksh.165,000 annually.

Top corporate executives earning up to Ksh.10 million per month will face deductions of Ksh.275,000  monthly, or Ksh.3.3 million per year.

In terms of services, every member, regardless of income, will be entitled to a primary healthcare package of up to Ksh.900 per year. This amount will cover primary care consultations, laboratory tests, and prescriptions.

For optical care, each family will receive a limit of Ksh.1,000 shillings per year, regardless of the contribution, while dental coverage will offer a maximum of Ksh.2,000, though this will only be available once there is a budgetary allocation.

For cancer screening, although there are scheduled rates, cancer-specific screening will not be available immediately.

For individuals needing to monitor their blood sugar, an HbA1c test will be financed at Ksh.1,000, but only once a year.

"We relinquished our medical allowance for comprehensive medical cover, which has now been removed, and yet we are expected to pay five times more - this is insane," said Dr. Atellah.

"We have taken this fight to the courts, including the Court of Appeal. Even the MPs who passed this Act seem oblivious to its consequences. With the current SHIF tariffs, everyone will be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to access care. Public healthcare is being intentionally defunded and made dysfunctional."