NHIF To Cover In And Outpatient Services, Ruto

Ruto asked Members of Parliament and County Governments to help needy people get access to NHIF cards to ensure universal health coverage to all Kenyans.

Ruto made the remarks on Saturday in Kericho County where he opened a CT Scan Centre and a HIV Integrated Comprehensive Care Centre in Kapsaret town.

In January, the implementation of the new National Hospital Insurance Fund rates was thrown into doubt after the Trade Union Congress of Kenya called for the suspension of the new rates, four months after the Central Organization of Trade Unions and the Federation Of Kenya Employers acceded to the new rates.

UNIFORM PERCENTAGE

The union’s national Secretary General Wilson Sossion, who also doubles as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) secretary general said the new rates should be pegged on a uniform percentage rate that will be borne by workers and the government.

The announcement came just a day after Deputy President William Ruto announced that the new NHIF deductions would be gazetted.

In the new rates, employees in formal employment earning a salary of at least 100 thousand shillings will pay 1,700 shillings, up from the current 320 shillings per month while those earning 6 thousand shillings and below will contribute 150 shillings up from 30 shillings per month.

NHIF chairman Mohamud Ali, however, played down the union's call for consultations, saying NHIF is being restructured to provide better services.

By Maureen Murimi