NHIF defends 65 per cent payment to private health facilities

The National Health Insurance Fund has defended why the largest chunk of reimbursements are to private health facilities.

NHIF CEO Peter Kamunyo on Thursday told the National Assembly Health Committee that the insurer does not favour private facilities as has been perceived by the public.

"We don't favour any hospitals because Kenyans have a choice of where to go," Kamunyo told the committee.

This is after data from the national health insurer showed that 65 per cent of reimbursements go to private facilities, 15 per cent to faith-based facilities with only 19 per cent go to public health facilities.

Of greater concern to the committee is that more than 40 per cent of the 65 per cent goes to two private facilities.

Kamunyo has said Kenyans prefer going to public health facilities due to the better services.