MPs’ new Sh10m medical cover to shield their families against war, terror
A joint sitting of parliament on May 5, 2021. Newly elected MPs and their dependants will be entitled to medical cover in the event of a civil war to the tune of Sh10.65 million.
What you need to know:
- Newly elected MPs and their dependants will be entitled to medical cover in the event of a civil war to the tune of Sh10.65 million.
- The MPs' cover includes Sh10 million in-patient per family, Sh300,000 per family for outpatient, Sh150,000 for maternity per family, Sh100,000 for dental per family and Sh100,000 for optical per family.
- Other services are pathology, X-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, radiotherapy, inpatient physiotherapy, nursing procedures, home nursing care, and daycare surgery, which are all covered up to the full in-patient limits.
Newly elected Members of Parliament and their dependants will be entitled to medical cover in the event of a civil war to the tune of Sh10.65 million, which also includes treatment arising from political violence and terrorism.
According to the medical cover currently being signed by the MPs-elect, the lawmakers will, however, not benefit from the cover if they willingly or actively engage in acts of terrorism or political violence.
The new plan seen by the Nation will also cover treatment of injury and death caused by violent accidental external and visible means arising from war, invasion and acts of a foreign enemy.
“This is extended to provide medical treatment and last treatment arising from rebellion hostilities or warlike operations such as rebellion, revolution, insurrection, political risks, sabotage or military usurped power,” reads part of the cover by AON Minet.
The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has been issuing the medical cards to the MPs-elect in the ongoing pre-swearing-in ceremony, awaiting the official taking of their oaths.
Six dependants
In the cover, the lawmakers, together with a maximum of six dependants which include one spouse and five children aged 25 years and below, will benefit.
The cover, however, extends the beneficiaries to the child of an MP who is above 25 years, who depends on them for survival due to unavoidable conditions such as physical and mental challenges.
The MPs, together with the spouse and a maximum of five children will also be entitled to evacuation to treatment overseas by use of business class air tickets for the patient and economy class for the accompanying person.
"Accommodation expenses cover pre- and post-discharge on reimbursement as long as there is proof of continued medication or treatment,” reads the medical cover.
The MPs can use the card in any hospital within the seven East African countries.
However, the PSC has cut out cover for cosmetic surgery, unless it is necessitated by an accident.
The cover states that costs of massage, beauty treatment in hydro clinics, contamination by radioactivity from nuclear fuel, waste or fission pandemics, epidemics, natural disasters and unknown illnesses covering a wide geographical area excluding the Covid-19 pandemic will be borne by the lawmakers.
Other services that the MPs will also pay for from their pockets are stays at sanatoria, old age homes, places of rest, herbalist treatment and other forms of treatment and beauty treatment in nature cure clinics.
Sh10m in-patient
The MPs' cover includes Sh10 million in-patient per family, Sh300,000 per family for outpatient, Sh150,000 for maternity per family, Sh100,000 for dental per family and Sh100,000 for optical per family.
The Sh10 million per family provides for a comprehensive and flexible hospitalisation, which includes hospitalisation charges, doctors (physician, surgeon and anaesthetists) fees, intensive care and high dependency units, theatre charges, drugs, dressing, and internal and external surgical appliances.
Other services are pathology, X-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, radiotherapy, inpatient physiotherapy, laboratory investigations, nursing procedures, home nursing care, and daycare surgery, which are all covered up to the full in-patient limits.
The medical scheme runs for one year before renewal.
