Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has acknowledged the issues confronting the Social Health Authority (SHA). Kindiki remarked that the government is dedicated to resolving the issues to guarantee that all Kenyans have access to quality healthcare.
His admission comes amid mounting worries about the SHA portal’s recurrent technological faults and the rising weight of out-of-pocket payments for patients.
With the new health insurance program having issues, Kindiki hosted a health conference at his Karen home, gathering stakeholders from counties and the Ministry of Health.
During the discussion, he acknowledged the inadequacies of the current healthcare system. “We need to do a lot of work. If SHA was working, we wouldn’t have Kenyans complaining.”
In response to public uproar, the Deputy President declared that the Ministry of Health is evaluating the Means Testing Tool for SHA contributions to better address Kenyans’ concerns.
The improved tool is scheduled to be released in the following days. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the system.
“We are reviewing the benefits tariffs; they will be announced on March 1st,” Barasa stated. According to research performed by the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA), the SHA site continues to have serious functioning concerns, with 89% of healthcare providers reporting problems.
The most important impediments include lengthy system unavailability, delays in One-Time Password (OTP) authentication, and the inability to track claim approvals—all of which have increased over the last month.
“The SHA portal continues to experience serious functionality issues, with 89% of providers reporting challenges,” Dr. Brian Lishenga highlighted.
“SHA payments to providers remain irregular. Out-of-pocket expenses remain a significant concern.”To exacerbate the situation, Ahmed Abdullahi, Chair of the Council of Governors, expressed worries about delayed capitation for Level 2 facilities and late reimbursements.
He also cited disruptions in Health Information Management Systems, specifically in the management of HIV data.
“There have been delays in implementing capitation for Level 2 facilities. The reimbursement is also not timely. Disruption of Health Information Management Systems, like the one in HIV, is also a serious challenge,” he warned.
Financial burden on healthcare providers is still a major issue, with many unable to manage claims due to the lack of a settlement monitoring system.
SHA’s payment settlement grade is currently at a worrying 37%, hindering service delivery.
As tensions build, stakeholders ask for immediate reforms to stabilize reimbursement systems, improve portal operation, and increase provider engagement to ensure Kenya’s universal healthcare aspirations are met.
