Every household in the country will be forced to make a monthly contribution of Ksh500 to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
This is inline with new reforms announced by the government in a health cover roll out for all Kenyans.
The bill by majority leader Amos Kimunya, will also see employers making an equal contribution to the fund for their employees.
The government moves towards attaining universal health coverage and intends to achieve this partly, through the news NHIF reforms.
In the bill, employers will be faced with harsh penalties upon failing to remit to the fund or deduct the same from their employees salaries.
It will also be mandatory for adults to be contributors to the fund in the NHIF amendment bill 2021.
This will be for those both in the formal and informal sector.
The bill pegs a compulsory contribution of Ksh. 6,000 for the self-employed with no option of voluntary contributions to the fund.
The bill proposes to have employers whose employees are liable as contributors to the fund to also be contributors to the fund.
The bill is a win for employees are they will not be able to pay double subscriptions.
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Employers will also be expected to make a matching contributions to that of their employee and this will not be from the employee’s salary or benefits.
The bill proposes to introduce empanelled healthcare providers with the criteria for the empanelment and contracting of healthcare providers set by the health cabinet secretary and the national hospital insurance fund management board.
The proposed changes have been challenged by various stakeholders with the employers umbrella body FKE as well as the Central Organisation of Trade Union saying the proposed piece of legislation did not factor in the unemployment statistics in the country with majority of those aged above 18 years still jobless.
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