How does NHIF work in Kenya?

In Kenya, those in the formal employment are well aware of the National Health Insurance Fund in Kenya. This is because the Kenyans in the formal employment have a compulsory NHIF membership in Kenya. Insurance enables thousands of Kenyans to access medical services in a timely manner and without worrying about the costs. 

Unfortunately, those in informal employment in Kenya are often disregarded when it comes to medical insurance in Kenya. Fortunately, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in Kenya has a provision to cater for individuals who are self employed or those who are in the informal sector in Kenya. This means that every Kenyan should have medical insurance cover.

How does NHIF work in Kenya?

Voluntary members of National Health Insurance Fund in Kenya, that is those in the informal sector, are required to make payments to the fund. The payments to NHIF in Kenya are made once a month to the tune of Kshs160. This monthly contribution to NHIF in Kenya brings the yearly contribution at Kshs1,920 of each member. Kenyans under the NHIF fund are issued with NHIF membership card that comes in handy when they visit the hospital covered by the NHIF insurance in Kenya. In case you are admitted to a hospital as a member of NHIF in Kenya, medical services are accorded to you and the doctors attend to you until the day you leave the hospital. The hospital in Kenya is responsible for making a claim to the NHIF in order to be reimbursed.

There are over 400 accredited government facilities in Kenya. This means that chances are very high that the hospital you visit allows use of NHIF payment in Kenya. There are also some mission health providers and various private health providers that partner with NHIF in Kenya to ensure that you are well taken care of health wise. In addition, Kenyans who go for in-patient service at private hospitals in Kenya, have the option of sharing the cost with the NHIF fund. One thing that makes NHIF stand out is that it does not discriminate when it comes to diseases. All diseases in Kenya are catered for by the National Health Insurance Fund. Patients under the NHIF fund in Kenya have packages covering comprehensive maternity and caesarean, dialysis at hospitals such as Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya and even family planning services such as vasectomy and Tubal Ligation. Kenyatta National Hospital allows use of NHIF card by Kenyans and is located in Upper Hill in Nairobi, near Equity Centre.

Kenyans can register for NHIF as members or as employers. Members fill the Members form and organizations fill the Employees form in Kenya. The NHIF submits claims by hospitals in Kenya once the member has been discharged from hospital. This means that contributors do not have to worry unnecessarily about funds as the NHIF fund takes care of it for them. It also means that cases of stranded patients with NHIF cards in Kenya, which is a somewhat ordinary occurrence in some hospitals, will not occur.

It is especially important for workers in the informal sector in Kenya to get insurance cover with National Health Insurance Fund. Kenyans who are self employed will appreciate the fact that their earnings come from the work they do daily. When they fall sick, their work suffers and so does their income.

This makes insurance coverage in Kenya all the more important. One need not make physical payments at NHIF branches in Kenya. There is the option for paying NHIF online in Kenya and you can learn more by visiting the NHIf website on nhif.or.ke nhif.or.ke/healthinsurance However, NHIF offices in Nairobi are located in Upper Hill, along Ragati Road where NHIF Headquarters is located. There are other NHIF offices in Nairobi in Buruburu along Mumias South Road and another NHIF branch in Kenyatta Hospital Estate in Nairobi. Yes, by becoming a member of the NHIF, you can be assured that your medical bills in Kenya will be taken care of whether you are in formal employment or you are in the informal sector in Kenya.