Kenya: TSC and NHIF fight over medical cover

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) dismissed claims that the Sh5.9 billion teachers’ medical cover is superior, even as teachers unions threatened to pull out of the fund.

The fund has also maintained that deductions based on the “total income” shall remain as directed by the NHIF Act of 1998.

The out-patient benefits will commence on July 1 although deductions started in April.

NHIF Chief Executive Officer Simon ole Kirgotty said the scheme presented to civil servants is a social cover that will benefit many Kenyans.

“We are providing an in-patient cover of up to Sh2 million. Our maternity cover has no limit. Out patient cover is even more favourable to lower cadres who shall get treatment without any limit,” he said.

Kirgotty said emergency evacuation and enhanced Group Life and Last Expense covers are also unparalleled.

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Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Advisory Council last week said the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) cover was superior and asked that teachers be exempted from the NHIF cover.

“We do not see why persons with superior medical covers cannot be exempted from the NHIF deductions,” said KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

He demanded that no teacher’s money should be deducted by NHIF anymore. “We want Sh320 back and no one shall be allowed to mess up with teachers money,” said Sossion.

KNUT, together with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Federation of Kenya Employees (FKE) and Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) demanded that all deductions be pegged on basic pay.

“But total income is what the NHIF Act says deductions must be based on. It was not a boardroom decision,” said Kirgotty.

Section 15 (3) of the NHIF Act says, “A contribution...shall be at such rate, depending on the person’s total income, as the board, in consultation with the minister, may determine.”

“I don’t want to comment about teachers pulling out because this is a statutory deduction,” added Kirgotty.

Kirgotty said the issue of enhanced NHIF rates was not a new.

The new rates, he said, were based on a study conducted in 2010 by Alexander Forbes.