The Health Ministry has started fresh talks with private healthcare providers as part of efforts to simplify the rollout of Taifa Care, the government’s flagship Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
In a consultative meeting held on Thursday, the Ministry members were seated alongside representatives from the Social Health Authority (SHA), the Digital Health Agency (DHA), regulators, and 176 private hospitals drawn from seven counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Embu.
Health Cabinet Secretary said the forums aim to enhance collaboration with private hospitals, which are pivotal in complementing government services.
The same sessions will be extended to other counties in the subsequent weeks.
The discussions centered on financing of healthcare, claims management, and digitization, whereby the providers’ concern was denied claims, delayed payment, and fraud prevention.
Shared issues the Ministry recognized that affected the provision of services were incomplete data, late filing of claims, and upcoding.
In attempting to plug these gaps, the government initiated a number of moves, including:
Employing special SHA relationship managers to support private facilities
The establishment of a single-stop centre at the SHA headquarters and Huduma Centres for handling complaints of providers,
The use of AI software to detect trends of fraud,
reimbursement of medicines after the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) catalogue, and
Publishing SHA benefit packages and standard operating procedures on the web.
The Ministry has also requested KSh 5.4 billion from the National Treasury for clearing NHIF arrears worth less than KSh 10 million in line with a recent Presidential directive.
Private providers, through their umbrella body, valued the overtures and agreed to hold quarterly progress meetings with the SHA and Ministry.
An identical forum had been convened earlier in the week with the faith groups, such as the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Christian Health Association of Kenya.
The ministry reaffirmed that the private and religious providers are at the center of the success of Taifa Care.
“The government is willing to open its heart in dialogue and partnership to see every Kenyan access quality healthcare at affordable prices,” she said.
