New Changes To NHIF as Proposed By Senate Health Committee
Beatrice Kwamboka, Mbito Michael, Mary Seneta, Mugo Beth, Ongeri Samson, Abdullahi Ali Ibrahim, Millicent Omanga, Fred Outa and Ledama Ole Kina are the members of the Senate Health Committee.
Members of the Health Committee from the Senate have proposed new changes to the NHIF health cover. Among the changes is that all unemployed will no longer be forced to contribute to the fund.
The senators also propose that the number of representatives from the CoG is 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 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 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 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 the penalty for late payments by the members to the fund. The accounting officers will be held responsible.
