Private hospitals to stop services to NHIF patients over unpaid debt

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Ojwang Joe, Irene Mwangi, Sharon Resian, Elsie Murunga, Anastacia Karanja

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 - Hospitals under the Kenya Association of Private Hospital (KAPH) have stopped offering services to National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) beneficiaries over unpaid debt.

This is after the organisation issued a 7-day demand notice for NHIF/SHA to release all funds owed as per the contractual agreements.

The association's chairperson Eric Musau stated that KAPH had engaged NHIF on several occasions to discuss the delayed payments of our member hospitals.

"However, the payments from the fund have been minimal and our members report inability to continue hospital operations," he stated.

"Our member hospitals have been forced to take expensive credit, lay off workers and default on supplier payments to continue offering care to NHIF beneficiaries," he said.

He pointed out that NHIF has been remitting very little portions of money owed which is not able to sustain operations.

"We have received reports of facilities closing some hospital operations or closing hospitals completely due to non-payment for services offered."

He stressed that members shall stop services to NHIF beneficiaries should the fund not honour the payments as stipulated in hospital contracts.