The Treasury has introduced a draft bill that will create a new comprehensive health insurance cover for civil servants and disciplined forces separate from the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) provisions.
- •The Public Finance Management (Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund) Regulations, 2024, will replace the Comprehensive Medical Insurance Scheme for Civil Servants and Disciplined Forces that was in operation since 2012.
- •The scheme was terminated on 1st October after the cessation of NHIF following the rollout of the new insurance scheme, SHIF.
- •Public Service unions signed a deal with the government two weeks ago averting a strike they threatened to hold over the absence of a comprehensive health cover for public servants under the SHIF provisions.
“For civil servants to continue receiving this benefit from the scheme as part of their remunerations, a fund is proposed to enable civil servants first to receive the Comprehensive range of quality health services from the Social Health Authority,” the draft states.
“Once this is exhausted, proceed with the limits provided for under the Comprehensive Medical Insurance Scheme for Civil Servants and Disciplined services (Renamed Public Officers Medical Scheme),” it continues.
The scheme will be supported by funds recovered from civil servants’ medical benefits. Taxpayers will also foot a chunk of the fund’s provisions through parliamentary allocation and the ministry in-charge of the Public Service.
Some of the benefits covered by the medical fund for civil servants include outpatient and inpatient services, annual medical checkups, and dental plus optical services for principal holders with six dependants. The Social Health Authority (SHA) will be in-charge of the separate fund for civil servants but will be supervised by a committee comprising Principal Secretaries from select ministries.
Despite the government assuring Kenyans that SHIF is more comprehensive and in tandem with principles of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), systemic faults and onboarding hitches have left thousands of Kenyans unable to foot their hospital bills. There is also concern about the inconsistency between monthly contributions of 2.75% and the benefits offered under the new scheme.