The government has addressed concerns about the Social Health Authority (SHA) payment system, explaining why health tax deductions are not processed through the official government paybill. Gerald Bitok, Director of Public Communication at State House, clarified that funds are deposited directly into the SHA account to ensure the immediate availability of resources for healthcare services.
“The reason SHA payments bypass the National Government’s consolidated Paybill (222222) is because health financing is critically important,” Bitok explained. “By collecting member contributions directly into the Social Health Authority, it ensures there are always ready funds to pay service providers outside the often long processes of the national consolidated fund allocations.”
Ensuring Timely Healthcare Payments
Bitok emphasized that unlike other government agencies reliant on annual budget allocations, SHA has monthly financial obligations to meet. This approach guarantees uninterrupted service delivery by allowing timely payments to healthcare providers.
“The goal is to resolve the funding issues inherited from the defunct NHIF, ensuring timely and reliable healthcare financing,” Bitok stated.
SHA’s payment model addresses challenges previously faced by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which frequently struggled with delayed payments. These delays often disrupted healthcare services, leaving service providers and patients in limbo.
Progress in Health Funding
As of November 26, the government had disbursed KES 3.7 billion in health funding, fulfilling promises made by President William Ruto during his State of the Nation address. The disbursements include KES 1.25 billion for pending NHIF claims, KES 1.1 billion for the Linda Mama program, and KES 1.35 billion for SHA capitation payments.
Bitok assured that SHA claims would be cleared by next Monday, while efforts to process pending claims from the defunct NHIF continue.
“These funds ensure the smooth operation of healthcare services and the timely settlement of obligations to service providers,” Bitok noted.
