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NAIROBI: The National Health Insurance Fund has finally rolled out the new outpatient health cover for Kenyans after years of only offering in-patient cover.
NHIF CEO Simeon Ole Kirgotty said that Kenyans could now access the new benefits since in hospitals that have been accredited by NHIF across the country.
The outpatient cover has been rolled out three months after NHIF begun collecting higher rates from its contributors to support the outpatient cover.
However, NHIF CEO noted that the uptake of the new services has been hampered by the ongoing controversies created by main trade union opposed to the enhanced NHIF rates.
"Kenyans have adopted a wait-and-see approach to the enhanced benefits such as outpatient cover. That is why I want us to resolve this issue quickly so that we can return to normalcy," he said.
Among the benefits in the enhanced NHIF cover include general consultations with doctors, laboratory tests, drugs, x-ray and ultrasound diagnosis, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, family planning, antenatal and post natal care, clinical counseling services, health and wellness education.
Previously, NHIF offered only in-patient cover including maternity and caesarean section in government hospitals, majority of mission hospitals and some private hospitals. It also covers for dialysis and family planning.
Regarding the criticism that good private hospitals are not in the list of services providers under the Nhif scheme, Kirgotty said they are still in negotiations to bring them on board.
He said that Kenyans seeking to benefit from the new cover should select the preferred health facilities to receive treatment from.
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