The Senate health committee members have made some proposals to amend the NHIF Act to enhance its mandate and capacity to deliver and facilitate universal health care coverage
Among the changes that should be made to the fund is to ensure uniform Contributions To the fund by all Kenyans who are employees whether in private or public institutions.
The Senate committee proposes that the contributions be matched. The employers from the national government to county government including the private sector be mandated to give matching contributions for their employees to the fund.
If the proposal is passed, then NHIF Contributions will be uniform for all employees in all sectors. The members also proposed other changes to be made as far as the NHIF board is concerned.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHIF Board must have at least a master’s degree from a university that is recognised while the corporate secretary of the board must have served as a public secretary in a certified institution for not less than ten years as proposed by Senate health committee.
The senators also proposed that the number of representatives from the CoG be increased to two in the National Hospital Insurance Fund Board. Currently, there is only one representative from the Council of Governors at the board.
Additionally, besides increasing the number of representatives from CoG, the senators want a representative from the Kenya Medical Association to be included in the NHIF board.
Also, the Senate committee has proposed another amendment that will ensure that both county and national governments will be made liable to a penalty for charges imposed on an employee for late payments of the amount to be contributed to the Fund.
The amendment Bill was forwarded to the Senate by the National Assembly after debating on the Bill in September this year. The Senate forwarded the Bill to the health committee for the participation of the public.
If the proposal is passed it will also force the accounting officers at the NHIF Offices to account for the money that is remitted as a penalty for late payments by the members to the fund. The accounting officers will be held responsible.
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