SHA Urges TSC to Dismiss Minet for New Teachers’ Medical Insurance
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to end its existing medical insurance agreement with Minet Kenya and rather enroll teachers in the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund.
This significant recommendation surfaces just days after TSC notified the Parliamentary Education Committee that SHA did not have the capability to accommodate over 300,000 teachers nationwide into its healthcare system.
Simultaneously, Parliament is now urging TSC to cancel its contract with Minet Insurance brokers and a group of underwriters for the delivery of medical cover services to teachers, describing the setup as an “amorphous structure. ”
Kibra MP Peter Orero revealed that teachers had raised issues stating that whenever they visited the consortium-approved hospitals, they were not provided with medication and were expected to purchase the drugs on their own.
Orero also noted that a majority of teachers were being denied service at health facilities and informed they had not been enrolled in the medical system.
The efforts of the Commission’s lawyer to clarify that the contract with the consortium would conclude in November this year and a decision regarding the onboarding of teachers to the “enhanced” SHA system would be made then were, nevertheless, met with disapproval and calls to terminate the contract beforehand.
“What sort of insurance cover is this? It is a mix that lacks structure. You are dealing with an insurer, a leading consortium, as an administrator and a capitator. Quite an unusual type of insurance. You need to get out of this arrangement,” remarked Melly.
“We cannot proceed in the same manner and anticipate different outcomes. The consortium is a disorganized structure that fails to provide services,” stated Luanda MP Dick Maungu.
Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap suggested grouping teachers so they can gain access to superior healthcare.
“As TSC ends this contract in the next half year, teachers will face difficulties. I recommend that we split them into groups and secure good insurance covers for them or we aggregate them to SHA and may divine assistance help us all,” Makilap noted.
As per SHA, all teachers and their dependents are qualified for the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package, which operates under three primary funds: the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF). However, SHA emphasizes that employers like TSC can provide supplementary insurance for additional advantages via acknowledged private underwriters.
Presently, TSC extends a medical cover through Minet Kenya, a private insurance firm. SHA clarified that it does not oversee the Minet coverage and proposed that the commission reevaluate its arrangement by transitioning to the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund. With this fund, TSC would be able to provide supplementary benefits based on a government-managed budget rather than depending on private providers.
As it currently stands, more than 21. 6 million Kenyans have registered with SHA, with approximately 50,000 new registrations taking place each day. SHA has also formed partnerships with over 8,000 healthcare facilities across the country to guarantee service availability.
The discussion regarding teachers’ medical insurance is growing more intense as worries about the quality, accessibility, and management of the existing Minet medical scheme continue to arise. Teachers’ unions and education stakeholders have consistently highlighted concerns regarding service delays, medication shortages, and unsatisfactory hospital experiences with the Minet scheme.
Should TSC take SHA’s guidance, teachers may soon experience a notable change in how their health insurance is administered, which could enhance healthcare access while saving the commission millions in insurance expenses each year.