Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said the launch of the Social Health Authority services this week has been shelved.
"In light of the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 that sought to finance the Primary Healthcare Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and set aside funds for indigents and vulnerable persons, the ministry is reworking to align to this reality. Therefore, the existing NHIF contributions and benefits will continue until we roll over to SHA," she said on Friday.
The Bill had allocated finances to start the Primary Healthcare Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illnesses Fund.
The PHC fund got Sh4 billion in the proposed 2024/2025 budget, while the ECCI fund got Sh2.1 billion.
This was the first major budgetary allocation for the two funds since the four UHC bills were signed into law on October 19 last year.
However, the government has been paying the community health promoters, who were hired last year.
The PHC and ECCI funds are key components of the Social Health Authority, which was expected to take over from the National Health Insurance Fund on July 1.
SHA has a third fund called the Social Health Insurance Fund which is contributory.
The primary healthcare fund is key because it will fund the Level 2 and 3 health facilities.
“All Kenyans seeking health services must enter the health system through the PHC, after which they will be referred to the Level 4 and 5 facilities if necessary,” Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai said.
Earlier, he had said the Sh2.1 billion allocation for ECCI was a commitment allocation by the government and would be increased.
“We had an engagement with the Treasury and we agreed on Sh20 billion. The Sh2 billion is just a start. It will be increased based on need,” Kimtai said.
However, Kenyans will continue paying 2.75 per cent of their salaries to the SHIF, whose regulations were already gazetted.
Key events slated for the last seven days toward the launch of SHA have since been canceled.
A calendar of events seen by the Star showed a national validation exercise was to take place on June 21 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, but it did not.
The launch of SHA registration was expected to follow on June 21 at the Uhuru Park but did not.
President William Ruto was expected to take part in one of these activities.
Kenya Kwanza’s UHC is anchored on the four laws enacted in October last year.
The laws are the Social Health Insurance Act (which creates the SHA), Digital Health Act, Primary Healthcare Act and the Facility Improvement Financing Act.
The Digital Health Act aims to promote telemedicine and digitise health services by ending written transactions.
“We have ensured we’re taking care of the privacy of data such that health workers will only have access to only data they need. This will ensure full accountability,” Nakhumicha said.
She said the Digital Health Act also allows private developers to make systems for hospitals but they must be able to integrate into the government system.
The Primary Healthcare Act aims to strength preventive health services by supporting the 100,000 community health promoters.
The Social Health Insurance Act abolishes the National Health Insurance Fund and creates three new funds.
The Facility Improvement Financing Act will restrict funds raised in public health facilities so that those funds are not put to other uses outside of health.
Last week, the Transition Committee, which is tasked with facilitating the shift, suggested that the NHIF should continue while SHA is launched in phases.
This is because some key components that will support the new health authority are not ready.
“Transition committee needs to make a formal submission and proposal for addressing issues in the alternative plan due to the identified factors that are not ready for July 1. This includes staggered implementation of the benefit package among others. This will imply communication methodologies including who will make such communications,” the committee in their meeting on June 21 said.
