• They said if NHIF fails to release the funds, patients will be made to pay for healthcare services in cash.
• Upon lapse of the notice, the association made good its threat and withdrew services for all NHIF card holders until the pending claims are paid.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
A decision on whether private hospitals will continue offering services without demanding cash payments will be made on Thursday.
The Rural Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) is holding its annual general meeting in Nairobi to deliberate on the matter.
The notice which the association had issued to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) lapsed on March 18.
In the notice, the association had given NHIF 14 days to release funds owed to its members, failure to which patients will be made to pay for healthcare services in cash.
Upon lapse of the notice, the association made good its threat and withdrew services for all NHIF card holders until the pending claims are paid.
The meeting is also being attended by Health DG Patrick Amoth and the Social Health Authority chairperson Timothy Olweny.
Speaking to journalists at the meeting, the association chairman Brian Lishenga maintained that the notice given to NHIF was still effective even as the government had shown goodwill in resolving the matter.
He however noted that the outcome of the AGM will determine the way forward on the matter.
"As an association, we are still in talks, we have a lot of commitment from the highest levels of government but essential providers need to see more, they need to see a plan for settling the bills," Lishenga said.
"We will be discussing that during our AGM in the afternoon and the resolutions that come from that AGM will be binding to the members, so as it is the notice is still in place," he added.
Lishenga said the purpose of the meeting is to see whether there will be way forward on the matter.
According to the association, NHIF owes them more than Sh22 billion in arrears for the services rendered.
The association wants the debt cleared by June 30 before the Social Health Authority (SHA) takes over to ensure the new authority starts on a clean slate without what they termed as historical debts.
Speaking during the forum, Amoth reiterated the government's commitment to sort out the matter even as NHIF is transitioned to the Social Health Authority.
Amoth acknowledged that private hospitals are the backbone of the attainment of UHC noting that the government will play its role in ensuring existing challenges and gaps are addressed.
"I note the cry that your association has raised concerning the delays in payment from NHIF and I want to assure you that this matter is receiving the highest attention at the highest level of government," Amoth said.
Amoth affirmed that no claim will go unpaid and noted that the plan by the government is to ensure the problem is solved before the transition to the new authority.
"I want to reiterate that no valued claim will go unpaid however long it takes. This problem of delayed payments will be addressed before the SHA kicks in," the DG said.