What will happen to your NHIF contribution once SHIF is effected

Kenyans who will have paid their contributions to the repealed National Health Insurance Fund will not be made to pay again after the transition to the Social Health Insurance Fund.

The Ministry of Health on Friday allayed fears that Kenyans might be subjected to fresh payments once the transition from NHIF to the new fund takes place.

Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said a transition committee has been tasked with drawing a road map on how the smooth transition to Social Health Authority will take place.

The CS spoke during a media engagement meeting which was also attended by Social Health Authority CEO Timothy Olweny and PS Medical Services Harry Kimtai.

“No member who has already paid NHIF should be asked to pay afresh upon registration. I know some people pay annually then it is for the transition committee and Social Health Authority to see that they convert that payment into SHA without asking the member to pay again,” Nakhumicha said.

“Those who will begin payment are those who will be due for payment; there are some who have never paid before so then they begin their payments,” she added.

This comes amid reports that some Kenyans had stopped making their contributions to the NHIF over fear that their money will sink once the new authority takes over.

Under the new Social Health Act of 2023, a person currently registered as a member of the repealed NHIF shall register afresh with the Social Health Authority as a member of the Social Health Insurance Fund.

The authority shall deregister a person as a beneficiary upon death.

Self-employed members who default on their payments will pay 2 per cent of their contribution amount as a penalty.

This means that for instance, someone who is paying the Sh300 minimum will pay Sh6 if they default for one month.

The amount accumulates based on the months defaulted.

The repealed NHIF was charging 10 per cent of the contributor’s amount as a penalty, which amounts to Sh50 on the Sh500 which was the lowest contributor amount.