Kenyans will now be required to make mandatory contributions to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) of Ksh500 per month.
This after the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, added changes to the NHIF Act which will now require all members of the public above the age of 18 to make a monthly remittance to NHIF.
As a result, al adults will now pay Ksh500 per month, which translates to Ksh6,000 annually.
The Bill was sponsored by the national government under the Big Four Agenda on the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Scheme for outpatient and inpatient services, including maternity, dialysis, cancer treatment and surgery.
The members of parliament, however, rejected a proposal by the National Assembly Committee on Health which sought to have County Governments foot the cost for 5.1 per cent of the country’s poor households.
“A person who has attained the age of 18 years and is not a beneficiary shall register as a member of the fund,” a new clause, introduced last evening to the Bill states.
The bill also compels employers of Kenyans earning less than Ksh12,000 per month to top up the remaining amount.
At the moment, members of the public earning Between Ksh8,000 and Ksh11,999 remit Ksh400 monthly to the fund.
Prior to the amendment, employers in the country faced up to Ksh1,700 statutory monthly deductions per employee. However, an intervention by Leader of Majority Amos Kimunya, ensured that the employers will now top up on contributions made by the employees.
“The base of contribution will be Ksh500. But there are employees in the private sector who contribute Ksh150 or Ksh300. The import of this amendment is to ensure that the private sector employers simply top up the difference to ensure employees base is Ksh500,” Kimunya stated.
“The national government and county government shall be liable as a contributor to the Fund in respect of all public officers, state officers and employees working in the national government and national government entities,” the new changes state.
“Any other employer shall be liable as a contributor to the Fund in respect of its employees.”