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"id": 1092595,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1092595/?format=api",
"text_counter": 352,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ndhiwa, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Martin Owino",
"speaker": {
"id": 13449,
"legal_name": "Martin Peters Owino",
"slug": "martin-peters-owino"
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"content": "so that dispensaries and health centres can also be covered in this insurance scheme, it is important to note that we tried the input in health for UHC supplying commodities, so that people can get drugs and all that, but that did not work in the pilot phase of the study. We have, therefore, resorted to output meaning and we want to have a national insurance scheme where you can be paid for if your indigence dictates, or your employer can deduct the amount due from your salary and pay for you. Those who are working can also chip into a kind of a pool the way insurance works. You just have to go to the facilities for care without making any direct payment. This amendment Bill, first, addresses that aspect. So, we will have the National Health Insurance Fund as the title and those recommendations or amendments will come during the Committee of the whole House. Secondly, this Amendment Bill will give mandate to the NHIF to facilitate payment for health services in all the facilities without nationals struggling to get where to pay and all that. They will just go for services and anticipate. We made it very clear to the team from the NHIF that once it is cushioned with this Bill, then access to healthcare services should not just be access, but should be accompanied by quality of services. We also had a problem with billing. When patients sought care from facilities, the first bill went to the NHIF. They were billed first and so they were taking a bigger slack than that of the private service providers. This amendment Bill will ensure that the first bill goes to the private insurance and then other bills are good enough for these schemes. They can take care of diagnostic services as well as chemo. They will take the second bill. That will save some money for us to spread out for long-term care for patients in those categories. As we all know, medical insurance companies have been around for the last 55 years. There have been a lot of fraudulent activities which this amendment Bill is trying to prevent. One of them is the use of stamps. People used to make their own stamps. This amendment will remove that aspect. There will be no use of stamps anymore. Also, the means of identification will be biometric so that we have everybody in the system. However, should there be any act of fraud, we have upped the penalties to Kshs10 million or five years imprisonment. If this is enforced candidly, we can protect the Fund and, therefore, the sustainability of the Fund can be assured. The issue of penalties has also been painful. If you delay to pay or if employers delayed, nothing was done. As the Mover put it rightly, we have reduced the penalty. It used to be five times and we have said you can pay 25 per cent of what you owe. If Members pass these amendments, there will be a lot of gain for this country. What happens is that people are not able to pay for healthcare services. That has impacted negatively on how people value their health. We have delays in accessing health care services. When there is delay, it invites progression. The disease progress because you have not gone to hospital because you fear you cannot afford to pay. So, when such patients show up at Level 5 and 6 hospitals, the tertiary care, they show up with complications. For example, somebody could be suffering from diabetes, but he does not know and does not want to go to a medical facility because he does not have money to pay. With time, the disease can progress and damage organs. He may end up with renal failure and require dialysis services, which will take him away from his family or cut down his productivity. This amendment Bill is going to make it easy for people to get to medical facilities even for preventive care. That is why we are removing “hospital” from the title and replacing it with “health” to read “National Health Insurance Fund.” That may make our productivity more valuable because diseases will be detected and managed early, and people can receive services. As I said, the engine to ensure that people can access healthcare is the NHIF. That is how important it is. As a Committee, even today, we talked about how contributions can be made to that Fund to make it more sustainable. We have made some changes, especially with regards to employers The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}