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{
    "id": 1092611,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1092611/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 368,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "The Bill provides that there must be equal contribution for both the employer and the employee. I know we are going for many employers and this is going to increase the cost of doing business. This is going to increase the cost of running operations. Nevertheless, for the purpose of the health of this country, there are some sacrifices people, corporates and all other forms of legal entities must be willing to make for this country to be strong and productive. Obviously, if the Bill as drafted goes through, the typical private medical insurance schemes will start losing customers and subscribers because the cost is going to be exorbitant. Therefore, an employer will treat the NHIF as an added benefit accorded to an employee. The other important aspect of this Bill that seems to come out very clearly is again to entrench voluntary contribution. However, we hope that the principal Bill has provisions on what kind of benefits voluntary contribution will entail and how much will be required for purposes of getting full range of medical cover. Many times, the NHIF tends to pay for only bed and probably the hospital room. It does not pay for all the services. We hope with the increased contribution and increased cover, it will be in a position to cover all forms of treatment both outpatient and inpatient. In many cases, the biggest cost is outpatient. That is why it is the most frequent especially people living with various types of underlying conditions. However, there is a provision in the Bill in Clause 7 that amends Section 22 of the principal Act where it says that where a beneficiary has a private health insurance cover, the private health insurance cover shall be liable for payments up to the limits the beneficiary is covered. In the event you have a double cover, again, this is a matter that professionals in the insurance industry will have to debate. You can never be covered for the same risk by two underwriters. It provides that if you have both, the NHIF, which seems now a compulsory universal cover and you have a private one, in the event of any treatment, you start with the private one, and end up with the NHIF. The danger with that is that private hospitals and the private insurance covers unless we put mechanisms in place, will collude to quickly deplete 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."
}