NHIF ends special cover for civil servants, police, prisons

NHIF Civil Servants: The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has ended the comprehensive medical cover for civil servants, the police and prisons. Civil servants, the police and prisons have been getting special cover when using the NHIF card, a privilege that non civil servants who pay the lowest monthly charges of Sh. 500 have not enjoyed.

The termination of this special cover will come into effect on March 31.

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According to a report that appeared in the Daily Nation, the termination is the result of pressures from the National Treasury and the Ministry of Health on whether a state corporation should be allowed to engage in commercial insurance despite not being registered as an insurance provider under the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA).

“This is to inform you that the fund will not be in a position to offer enhanced health insurance cover to National Police, Kenya Prisons, and Civil Servants when the current arrangement lapses on March 31, 2020,” NHIF acting chief executive officer Nicodemus Odongo said in a letter.

The DN report says that NHIF has been earning about Sh. 2 billion in premiums from the police, prisons and civil servants and other bodies including private entities. “This amount is besides the Sh. 5 billion premium for the police medical insurance scheme and Sh. 5 billion premium for civil servants’ cover paid by the National Treasury,” it says.

The NHIF is currently on the verge of collapse following years of plunder and mismanagement of funds. Early this year, the NHIF attempted to increase monthly payments but the increase was suspended by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Since then, the NHIF has maintained that it will collapse unless the payments are increased. NHIF Civil Servants.