NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Nairobi County Government is set to introduce health insurance cover for poor households in the city, with the first phase targeting 232,000 households.
According to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, the County will partner with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to roll out the medical cover and will be paying sh 8,600 monthly, which will enable poor city residents to access treatment free of charge.
While making the announcement on Thursday, Sakaja said the distribution will be 50 households per polling station.
“I have been keenly observing what has been happening in other counties and especially in Murang’a and as Nairobi County we will soon start registering the 232,000 poor families which will benefit from this cover,” Governor Sakaja stated.
Sakaja said the cover will cater for both inpatient, outpatient, dental, optical and last expense.
“The last expense cash of 100k payable to principal member plus dependants,” he stated.
Murang’a is among the first counties to establish such a programme, after it was launched in November last year covering 20,000 vulnerable households in the county.
The cover which is dubbed Kang’ata Care caters for both inpatient, outpatient, dental, optical and last expense.
Access to health care for all is an integral part in President William Ruto’s manifesto, who has vowed to speed up the much needed National Health Insurance Fund reforms, so that Kenyans from all cadres can benefit from the fund.
Just recently Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha announced that the government will be phasing out the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and replacing it with the National Social Health Insurance Fund from July this year, so as to ensure health care access for all.
The CS noted that only a small percentage of Kenyans are enrolled in NHIF, hence denying many access to the crucial health care.
