NHIF Ends Edu Afya Medical Scheme.
The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) indicates that the Edu Afya Program faces uncertainty as it is not included in the new body set to replace NHIF.
The Ministry of Education currently runs the program under the Free Day Secondary Education umbrella, which pays premiums for all public secondary school students. Edu Afya has been instrumental in facilitating student treatment both locally and abroad.
According to the NHIF CEO Elijah Wachira, the fund will end all service provider contracts under the program by December 31. As a result, over 3.4 million students will operate without medical coverage.
Speaking before the National Assembly, Mr Wachira told the legislators that upon contract termination with various service providers, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, will have to find a new provider since NHIF, as currently constituted, will be non-existent.
“By the end of the year, NHIF will run down all contracts it had with the Ministry of Education, and therefore, they will have to look for a new service provider,” he said.
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Mr Wachira’s appearance before the National Assembly was due to the petition by Joyce Cherono seeking legislators’ intervention to facilitate the program’s effective implementation.
The petitioner argues that program uptake is low due to the lack of awareness and poor communication by NHIF.
Importantly, it is essential to note that the program has cost the taxpayer a total of Sh9.5 billion in the four years it has been in place.
Over the years, it has led to an increase in health budgetary allocations to close to Sh4 billion yearly, focusing on the Sh1350 premium per student annually.
The Edu Afya Medical Scheme has provided students with comprehensive medical coverage, especially those registered with the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
To access treatment of healthcare services under the program, one must be in the NEMIS database and present a letter by the principal. Supported services include inpatient, outpatient, and ambulance (road and air emergency rescue).
NHIF Ends Edu Afya Medical Scheme.