Having a model health insurance plan is a solution to counter the rising medical costs. It provides financial security for you and your family as it covers expenses related to treatment, from hospitalization charges to drug fees.
In Kenya, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is responsible for providing healthcare services to citizens. Despite its affordable fees, many people still opt to purchase private insurance plans to access more doctors and hospitals.
Which are the best health insurance companies in Kenya? It is hard to know, considering that there are so many different providers in the space.
However, Nairobi Wire has done some legwork for you in examining the best insurance companies on factors such as prevention, treatment, and customer satisfaction, coupled with pocket-friendly charges that suit you.
Top 5 best medical insurance companies in Kenya
1. AAR Insurance
2. First Assurance Kenya Company Limited
3. Jubilee Insurance
4. Britam Insurance
5. CIC Health Insurance
AAR Insurance
AAR Insurance is the leading health insurance company known for providing underwriting health plans for individuals and families. It has adopted a strategic focus and digital innovations to aggressively meet emerging consumer trends and expectations.
To apply for AAR Insurance, you must be a Kenyan resident with a KRA PIN and must not exceed 64 years.
It offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs to cover both outpatient services like diagnostic tests and procedures, radiology, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, cancer tests and consultation, dental treatment including simple extractions, surgical extractions, fillings, scaling and polishing, gum surgery, root canal treatment, pulpotomies, and minor oral surgery and inpatient services such as maternity services including both normal, elective or emergency CS delivery, parent and guardian accommodation when the insured child is under the age of 8 years (Lodger fee) for both local and international hospitals, organ transplant, post-hospitalization discharge medication of up to 14 days, and reconstructive surgery.
AAR Insurance costs are calculated based on the type of cover (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Platinum, Silver Plus, and Cover Me), the age of the applicant, and the number of people using the insurance plan.
Applicants above the age of 45 are expected to submit their medical reports when making an application. You can get an AAR Insurance health cover for as low as Ksh50,000.
AAR Insurance contacts
Website – www.aar-insurance.com/ke/
AAR Insurance offices – Real Tower, Upperhill, Nairobi
AAR Insurance phone numbers – +254703063000, +254730633000, +254202895 000
AAR Insurance email – [email protected]
Read: Top 5 Best Rehab Centres in Nairobi, Plus Cost
First Assurance Kenya Company Limited
First Assurance Kenya Company Limited (FAK) operates a medical plan under the name FirstMed. It began operations in East Africa as Prudential Assurance Company PLC in 1930 but later rebranded in 1991 after a Kenyan company acquired much of its stakes.
On April 30, 2015, Absa Bank (former Barclays PLC) through Barclays Africa Group Limited acquired 63.3% of FAK, making them the majority shareholding in First Assurance Company Ltd.
The insurer offers five separate plans ranging from Ksh500,000 to Ksh5 million.
| Benefits | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 4 | Option 5 |
| Inpatient benefit per family | Ksh500,000 | Ksh1,000,000 | Ksh2,000,000 | Ksh3,000,000 | Ksh5,000,000 |
| Outpatient benefit per person | Ksh50,000 | Ksh75,000 | Ksh100,000 | Ksh150,000 | Ksh200,000 |
| Maternity benefit | Ksh50,000 | Ksh75,000 | Ksh100,000 | Ksh150,000 | Ksh200,000 |
| Dental benefit per person | Ksh10,000 | Ksh15,000 | Ksh20,000 | Ksh30,000 | Ksh40,000 |
| Optical benefit per person | Ksh10,000 | Ksh15,000 | Ksh20,000 | Ksh30,000 | Ksh40,000 |
All the outpatient services are paid in full except for baby vaccination which has a limit of Ksh30,000, and annual health checkups operate under Ksh5,000 in all five health insurance options. For inpatient services, radiology, laboratory fees, reconstructive surgery charges, and 30-day dosage drug fees are wholly covered.
First Assurance Kenya Company Limited contacts
Website – www.firstassurance.co.ke
Head Office – First Assurance House, Clyde Gardens, Gitanga Road, Lavington, Nairobi
Phone numbers – 0722444117, 0733605480, 0709544000
Email – [email protected]
Read: AAR Hospital Maternity Charges in 2022
Jubilee Insurance
Jubilee Insurance of Jubilee Holdings Limited was started in Mombasa in 1937, and it has grown to have subsidiaries in Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius, and Burundi.
It is also listed on Nairobi Securities Exchange, Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange, and the Uganda Securities Exchange and serves nearly 500,000 customers in the East African region.
Jubilee Insurance offers four health insurance options: J Care Individual or Family Health Cover, Johari, J-Health Senior, and Micro Health Cover.
J-Care medical insurance cover gives the customers the free will to choose where and how they receive treatment. Those eligible for this cover are individuals below the age of 60 and one-month-old children. Those above 50 years must undergo health analysis before getting J-Care.
Johari health cover is for those below or above 18 years, and it covers a hospital limit of Ksh400,000, maternity limit of Ksh50,000 with a one-year waiting period, the outpatient limit of Ksh50,000, and a cover charge of Ksh200,000 for pre-existing illness. One can apply for a family health plan at Ksh29,400 annually.
On the other hand, J-Senior medical insurance is tailor-made for senior citizens above 60 years to cover medical expenses until attaining the age of 80. Lastly, Micro Health Cover is designed for groups with a minimum of 10 principal members.
Jubilee Insurance contacts
Website – www.jubileeinsurance.com/ke/
Headquarters – Jubilee Insurance House, Wabera Street, Nairobi
Phone numbers – +254709949000
Email – [email protected]
Britam Insurance
British-American Insurance Company (Britam) is ranked among the best health insurance companies, and it also offers diversified financial services with a range of investment options in its portfolio.
It has two health plans to suit your needs: Afya Tele Medical Insurance Cover and Milele Health Plan.
Afya Tele Medical Insurance cover is for customers between 18-65 years at entry, with children below the age of 18 included in the cover. Members should be more than 10 people to take up the cover.
The cover carters for outpatient and inpatient medical care and has four plans that trade at Ksh200,000, Ksh300,000, Ksh500,000 and Ksh750,000 from Option I to Option IV, respectively. All have inbuilt funeral benefits.
The other plan – Milele Health Plan – has five plans that cost between Ksh500,000 to Ksh10,000,000. To apply for this plan, you must be a Kenyan resident not above the age of 70 and must have an active NHIF membership card.
It covers most medical services like theatre, ICU, nursing, MRI and CT scans, drug fees, and oversees treatment charges in full with an added advantage of free emergency air or ambulance rescue operation.
Britam Insurance contacts
Website – ke.britam.com
Headquarters – Britam Centre Mara, Ragati Road Junction, Upperhill, Nairobi
Phone number – 0705100100
Email – [email protected]
CIC Health Insurance
CIC, the Co-operative Insurance Company, is the best for its medical plans owing to its low-cost coverage and variety of plan options. It offers medical insurance in the categories of Family Medisure and Seniors Mediplan to cover all the age groups in the society.
Also, its partnership with over 900 hospitals helps policyholders access in-network care across multiple locations in the country.
Its policy is limited to hospital bed accommodation charges (minus NHIF rebate amount), pre-existing conditions that are declared and accepted, diagnostics for member and spouse, major organ transplant procedure, in-patent prescribed physiotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nursing care, prescribed medicine, dressing and diagnostic test and Non-accident maxillofacial and ophthalmologic, and dental surgery subject to authorization.
Here is the CIC Health Package against costs:
| CIC package | Cost |
| Essential | Ksh300,000 |
| Standard | Ksh500,000 |
| Comprehensive | Ksh1,000,000 |
| Superior | Ksh2,000,000 |
| Premier | ksh3,500,000 |
| Prestige | Ksh5,000,000 |
CIC Health Insurance’s waiting period is 30 days for acute illness, 2 years for chronic ailments such as cancer, and 3 years for an organ transplant. There is no waiting period for accident-related injuries.
Its limits are inpatient (Ksh300,000 – Ksh5 million) per family, outpatient (Ksh50,000 – Ksh200,000) per person, dental (Ksh15,000 – Ksh20,000) per person and optical (Ksh15,000 – Ksh20,000) per person.
CIC Insurance contacts
Website – cic.co.ke
Head Office – CIC Plaza, Mara Road, Upperhill, Nairobi
Phone number – 0703 099 120
Email – [email protected]
