Teachers, dependants to access new medical plan

Teachers and their dependents can now continue to access healthcare services in both public and private facilities under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) medical scheme.

TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia said the funding issue that had caused service interruption in a few service providers under the Teachers Medical Scheme administered through Minet Kenya, has been resolved.

Macharia said that following a consultative meeting between the Commission and teachers’ unions on August 21, 2024, teachers can access services at public and private facilities including mission hospitals.

The development is a relief to the more than a million beneficiaries who had challenges accessing some service providers due to inadequate allocation and delays in disbursement.

The teachers’ medical scheme was rolled out as a solution to the medical allowance provided to teachers, which Macharia argued was inadequate.

The current contract was awarded by the commission to Minet in 2022 for three years. According to the Service Provider Summary Report for the 2023-2024 Financial Year, Minet expanded the number of service providers to 832 across the 47 counties.

Distributed nationally

Additionally, the TSC medical scheme has 2,524 service points distributed across the country offering outpatient, inpatient, maternity, dental, and optical services.

Nairobi county leads with the highest number of service points with 187, followed by Meru (149), Uasin Gishu (98), Kiambu (93), Kisumu (88), and Nakuru (88).

On the other hand, West Pokot (15), Bomet (18), Tana River (20), Narok (22), and Lamu (25) have few service points.

The private hospitals dominate the list of service providers at 71 percent, with government- and mission-owned facilities following behind with 15 and 14 percent, respectively.

The scheme has achieved significant strides, reducing the mortality rate by 50 percent and alleviating the disease burden among teachers and their dependents.

Minet Chief Executive Officer Sammy Muthui recently underscored that the scheme provides a comprehensive wellness benefits package that strives to prevent chronic conditions and promote the emotional and psychological well-being of the beneficiaries.

Muthui also underlined that more than 80,000 children have been born under the scheme since its inception nine years ago. Teachers also enjoy access to IVF treatment at the county level, overseas treatment, and psychological tele-counseling services available round the clock.

Minet registers about 7,000 outpatient visits daily, 300 new admissions per day, 400 dental cases daily, and 400 optical cases in a day. The scheme also boasts a fully automated system for registration, approvals, claiming, and settlement.