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{
    "id": 1557882,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1557882/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 231,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "the county governments and leaders who sit in this august House. I urge the national Government, the county governments and Members of Parliament to identify the indigent in our communities using social protection data and pay for their SHA premiums because they are an important component of our society. That data can be found in the sponsors’ portal, which is available on our website. You can use the Afya Yangu portal or app to help the most vulnerable in society. Unlike the defunct NHIF, to which access to benefits was only granted after six months depending on who you knew, access to the SHA benefits is instant. You can choose to pay monthly and still access medical services unlike during the time of NHIF, when you had to wait for two months for your personal data to be incorporated into the system for you to access medical services. The SHA gives you instant access to healthcare coverage services. Hon. Speaker, the third question is on the nature of medical cover offered by the Authority at all levels. The SHA provides free primary healthcare services at all public health facilities from Levels 2 to 4 hospitals, and at contracted private and faith-based healthcare facilities. I thank the House for this because free primary healthcare is paid for by the government. It is budgeted for by this House. It had never existed in our country before. Once people register with SHA, they are eligible to visit Levels 2, 3 and 4 hospitals for healthcare services. These are Government dispensaries, health centres and sub-county hospitals, and their equivalent private and faith-based healthcare facilities. One can get free treatment and medicines, courtesy of the Government of Kenya. Additional services are available under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to all paid up members at Levels 4, 5 and 6 hospitals and at contracted private and faith-based facilities. The SHIF also provides emergency services to all Kenyans. You do not need to register or pay in advance for any emergency. For example, if a boda boda rider is knocked down by a vehicle, if he is rushed to hospital, he will not be required to register or pay anything. No facility can deny him treatment. He will be treated and discharged to go home. That provision never existed before. It is now in the law. Article 43(2) of the Constitution on the Bill of Rights requires the Government to bear emergency healthcare services costs. Hon. Speaker, the last service we offer is chronic and critical illness services for all paid up members of SHA at Levels 5 and 6 hospitals. The details of the services that the Member has asked about have been set out in Legal Notice No.47. The NHIF was not required to publish them but this House allowed us to do so. You can access those services under that Legal Notice. The gazetted benefits are a big improvement from benefits previously offered by the defunct NHIF. They are aligned to the projected collections. We will continuously improve these benefits in tandem with available resources. For instance, this month, the SHA and the Ministry of Health enhanced the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) package from Ksh4,000 to Ksh28,000 per day. We have also increased the limit for all cancer patients to Ksh150,000 under Chronic and Critical Illness Services. The next question is about the referral system. There are three levels of healthcare service access in the referral system as shown in the document that I have given to the colleagues who asked this question. All registered SHA members can access outpatient services at primary healthcare facilities comprising Levels 2, 3 and 4 hospitals, through the Primary Healthcare Fund, which this House established. Registered SHA members can access healthcare services for free at those facilities. Secondly, all inpatient services can be accessed at secondary healthcare facilities comprising Levels 4, 5 and 6 hospitals. The Social Health Insurance Fund, which is the contributory arm of the UHC or the Taifa Care, allows one to access services at Levels 4, 5 and 6 public healthcare facilities and at contracted private and faith-based inpatient facilities. Indigents will be paid for by the Government, Members of Parliament through the NG-CDF, the county governments or good Samaritans and sponsors. 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."
}