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Kenya

Government launches biometric listing for medical scheme

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru stated that the scheme will also cover travel and accommodation costs for a person accompanying a member for treatment outside the country. Photo/ WAIGURU

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru stated that the scheme will also cover travel and accommodation costs for a person accompanying a member for treatment outside the country. Photo/ WAIGURU

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – The government has launched a biometric registration exercise for members of the civil services and disciplined services medical scheme.

In the scheme which will also include their eligible dependants, all of them will be able to benefit from air rescue services, which was formally a preserve of the disciplined services.

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru stated that the scheme will also cover travel and accommodation costs for a person accompanying a member for treatment outside the country.

“My ministry in consultations with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and other stakeholders has continued to review and enhance benefits under the scheme to ensure quality healthcare for the employees and their eligible dependants. A key outcome of this collaboration is the new contract negotiated with NHIF for a period 2015/16 and came into effect on July 1 2015,” she said.

She indicated that under the new contract, drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centres will also be covered.

“On its part, the government will continue consultations with NHIF, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants and other stakeholders to improve the benefits package offered under the scheme to ensure that members access quality healthcare,” she stressed.

She explained that members who retire within the contract period will also continue to access the medical benefits under the scheme.

“And with good reason, a healthy workforce is essential to the realisation of this government’s broad transformational agenda. With the government, unions and other partners working together, I am confident that we will continue to achieve a substantive improvement in health of our workforce over the next decade,” she said.

“Prior to January 2012, civil servants and disciplined services were drawing monthly medical allowances ranging from Sh375 to Sh2,490 which was taxed as outpatient medical cover. The employees’ daily entitlement as inpatient medical cover was in the range of Sh1,000 to Sh1,500 per day and the employees had to pay the bills first and then claim reimbursement.”

Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia underscored the need for as many Kenyans as possible to register for the scheme so as to benefit from its benefits.

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“I once again call upon all Kenyans to register and be members of the scheme and enjoy the services as we strive towards universal health coverage. I congratulate and really thank the Ministry of Devolution for the commitment in supporting NHIF. This is a key aspect of managing the insurance and will go a long way in improving service delivery to members in all parts of the country,” he stated.

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