The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has launched a vigorous operation to target employers who fail to remit their monthly statutory funds.
The crackdown aims to address gaps in revenue collection and ensure uninterrupted operations of the fund.
Dr. Sam Kuhora, the acting Chief Executive Officer of NHIF, announced that the three-week exercise aims to collect Ksh 712 million in outstanding remittances, out of a total of Ksh 1.07 billion owed by employers.
During a consultative meeting with officials from the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, Dr. Kuhora emphasized that this initiative will help settle pending bills and ensure NHIF beneficiaries continue to receive services at all accredited healthcare facilities.
Dr. Kuhora highlighted that 64% of the national insurer’s revenue is derived from contributions made by workers.
He said measures have been put in place to address loopholes affecting revenue collection, and engagements have been held with stakeholders through the Kenya Health Care Federation to address payment issues and challenges in the process.
NHIF expressed concern over reports of beneficiaries being denied services due to outstanding bills, which is a violation of contractual agreements with healthcare facilities.
Dr. Kuhora assured that all pending bills will be settled.
He further identified employer compliance as the primary challenge affecting revenue collection, along with instances of medical fraud.
COTU Secretary General, Dr. Francis Atwoli, noted that corruption is the major hurdle in service delivery.
He urged NHIF to take firm action against corruption to safeguard employee contributions.
Additionally, Awoli called for an audit of accredited health facilities to ensure that only those meeting the required standards are permitted to operate
