The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and a consortium of private insurers are increasingly under pressure to clear billions of shillings in pending claims owed to church-based hospitals and rural private health facilities.

It emerged yesterday the NHIF, CIC Consortium and Britam Group owe these health facilities Sh7 billion accrued over time, resulting in ultimatums.

The Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) issued a 14-day notice to the NHIF and CIC Insurance Consortium, to clear pending bills amounting to Sh2 billion, to enable them continue providing services uninterrupted to their clients.

“In the last six  months, less than 30 percent of the claims are being met from these key insurers. CHAK Hospitals are at a high cash flow risk as they are unable to pay health workers, suppliers and meet basic operational costs,” Samuel Mwenda, CHAK General Secretary told journalists at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) when the Association unveiled its 2023-2028 Strategy.

Resilient systems

The strategy themed: “Promoting access to quality health services delivered through resilient health systems.”

Mwenda added the strategy aims at facilitating the association’s health facilities to deliver better services.

 He revealed that CHAK membership has large pending claims for services already given from 126 accredited facilities, estimated at Sh2 billion under NHIF and the CIC insurance consortium. The CIC network is a group of insurers covering Kenya Police, Kenya Prisons and Teachers Service Commission members.

“We appeal that these schemes are immediately resourced with cash flow and premium payments by the relevant parent ministries and commissions, so that the insurers can meet obligations which have now become critical and urgent before the CHAK facilities grind to a halt,” he said.

The association further called on the NHIF and CIC consortium to make urgent necessary arrangements to pay CHAK facilities all pending claims in the next 14 days.

“The key insurers are encouraged to engage stakeholders and resolve this critical cash flow stalemate without delay,” Mwenda stated. The press conference was preceded by the Association’s annual conference-cum-General Meeting