Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has announced new reforms aimed at enhancing service delivery under the Social Health Authority(SHA).
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, March 5, Barasa revealed that payments made to hospitals will now be based on the number of patients treated, a change from the past system, which was based on insurance status.
On the other hand, she detailed that the government will be publicizing the payments made to hospitals to enhance accountability.
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"To promote transparency, the Social Health Authority (SHA) will begin publicly disclosing payments to health facilities next week. The Ministry has also launched a Claims Tracking Dashboard to speed up payments, with nationwide training underway to help health providers streamline claim submissions.
"By the end of March 2025, 15 high-volume hospitals will join the Health Information Exchange (HIE) system, improving efficiency through seamless patient data sharing," read the statement in part.
On the other hand, she detailed that the government was finalizing the Means Testing Model (MTM), which will be used to determine vulnerable families that require support.
According to Barasa, the model is expected to be completed by Friday, 7th March 2025.
The CS also announced expanded health benefits, including an increase in ICU/HDU coverage from Ksh4,600 to Ksh28,000.
Oncology care coverage will also be increased from Ksh400,000 to Ksh550,000 per household.
"A 24-hour Call Center is being established to assist Kenyans with healthcare access, registration, and claims tracking," the Ministry of Health added.
