COTU Deputy Secretary General Benson Okwaro told a news conference the union was not consulted before the changes were made and called upon NHIF to suspend the new regulations/FILE – COTU
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 12 – Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Sunday termed newly effected National Health Insurance Fund regulations as punitive to contributing low income earners.
The workers’ union said it will explore all avenues to ensure that the changes are reversed.
COTU Deputy Secretary General Benson Okwaro told a news conference the union was not consulted before the changes were made and called upon National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to suspend the new regulations.
“In COTU’s view, these changes are punitive, retrogressive, irresponsible and being pushed by individuals hell-bent on suffocating the smooth operations at NHIF and at the same time aimed at frustrating workers who religiously contribute to the fund,” he said.
Okwaro blamed mismanagement of the fund for the changes, claiming the newly introduced regulations by the NHIF board were a ploy “to cover up their mess,”
The changes which took effect at the beginning of this year require voluntary members who pay an annual subscription of Sh6,000 upfront and wait for six months before they can access services.
Under the new rules, a member can only include one spouse and a maximum of five children as dependents.
“Additional dependents can be included subject to payment of additional premiums to be communicated after actual variations,” explains the circular.
In case of default for 12 months and above, the affected member will be required to start payment afresh and can only be eligible for benefits after 90 days from the date of resumption of payment in addition to a one year upfront payment, payable within the waiting period while observing due dates.
For both maternity and specialized services, any dependent declared after initial registration shall be subjected to a 6-month waiting period, the guidelines indicate.
The changes exempt programmes that target the vulnerable including free maternity, the elderly, persons with disabilities and health insurance subsidy programmes.
The changes have seen Kenyans express fury saying the new rules are unfavorable to poor low-income families.
Some political leaders have also weighed in on the matter, vowing to oppose the new regulations.
“Arbitrary changes to NHIF rules will affect these Kenyans and their families. The changes are unacceptable because they will limit access to healthcare services among poor families,” tweeted Starehe MP Charles Jaguar.
The funds’ management explained that the changes were aimed at attaining sustainable universal health coverage.
In 2019 NHIF announced that they had increased principal contributors by 13 per cent with most being accounted by the informal sector.
About The Author
