NHIF to stop payment for cancer in private hospitals
What you need to know:
- Fresh regulations published by the State-backed insurer require it to cover patients with chronic illnesses in government hospitals like the overburdened Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) will stop paying for treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart and kidney ailments in private hospitals if Parliament approves changes aimed at reducing payouts.
Fresh regulations published by the State-backed insurer require it to cover patients with chronic illnesses in government hospitals like the overburdened Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
“A beneficiary with chronic illness shall access treatment for chronic illness from public health care providers only,” says the new regulations that were published Wednesday for public review pending approval by MPs.
This sets up low-income patients and affected households for tough times given the majority of them rely on the NHIF for diagnosis, drugs and hospital expenses.
The radical move will also hurt private hospitals like Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi West and Mater that receive billions of shillings to provide care to patients with chronic illnesses.
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