The government has assured public officers that they will continue to access medical services without disruption, even as tensions between private hospitals and the Social Health Authority (SHA) escalate.
On Tuesday, top officials from SHA met with the Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) and the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) in Nairobi for a high-level strategy session aimed at diffusing the growing standoff.
Among the resolutions reached was a commitment by SHA to keep services running for public servants under its scheme.
The authority said a new working arrangement has been put in place to sustain the medical cover, with guaranteed budget allocations to settle payments on time.
“To ensure public officers continue to receive uninterrupted healthcare, the SHA has developed a new working arrangement that guarantees timely payments and access to services,” the authority said in a statement after the meeting.
The intervention comes at a time of growing anxiety among teachers and police officers transitioning from private insurers to the SHA.
On Monday, the Rural Urban Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA) declared its facilities would stop attending to the two groups once the transition was finalized, citing unpaid claims.
RUPHA chairperson Dr. Brian Lishenga accused the government of rejecting medical claims worth more than Ksh10.6 billion without following due process, saying hospitals could not continue providing services under such conditions.
SHA, however, moved to calm fears, stressing that no public officer would be denied treatment. The authority also pledged to strengthen claims management and to engage providers directly to resolve disputes.
According to SHA, existing contracts with individual facilities will remain in place to ensure fairness and keep services available to members across the board.
