President William Ruto’s administration is pushing forward an all-encompassing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) legislative agenda. State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed announced that the Cabinet had given the green light to four bills touted to usher in a transformative era for healthcare in the country.
Titled the Primary Healthcare Bill, Social Health Insurance Bill, Digital Health Bill, and the Facility Improvement Financing Bill, these legislative pieces collectively aim to reshape the healthcare landscape by fostering comprehensive accessibility, financial inclusion, technological integration, and dedicated funding.
The Primary Healthcare Bill, 2023
One of the cornerstones of President Ruto’s UHC vision was elevating community health promoters and integrating preventive and promotive services. The Primary Healthcare Bill of 2023 sets the groundwork for this ambitious endeavour. The bill establishes a framework for delivering, accessing, and managing primary healthcare services, including services provided by the 100,000 community health promoters commissioned by the President, set to begin their work in October 2023.
By reorganizing service delivery at the primary healthcare level – including dispensaries and health centres – the government aims to eliminate financial barriers to these vital services to ensure that Kenyans can access healthcare without financial burden, reinforcing the essence of universal coverage.
The Social Health Insurance Bill, 2023
A central feature of the Social Health Insurance Bill of 2023 is the establishment of three distinct funds: a Primary Health Care Fund, a Social Health Insurance Fund, and a Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund. These funds collectively encompass a broad spectrum of healthcare services, from primary referrals to secondary and tertiary care, chronic illness management, and emergency treatment. Consolidating these funds under a single board and secretariat, funded through a proposed 2.75% household income deduction from formal and informal sectors, showcases President Ruto’s resolve to create an equitable healthcare financing system.
The Digital Health Bill, 2023
The Digital Health Bill of 2023 addresses integrating information communication and technology systems to enhance telemedicine and health management information systems. This aims to improve healthcare access and lays the foundation for streamlined health data governance and protecting personal health information.
Finally, the Facility Improvement Financing Bill aims to ring-fence funds generated within health facilities to ensure a reliable and consistent funding source for county health facility operations.
“We are changing the funding system so that the vulnerable can access the NHIF free of charge. Those in the lower cadre will pay less, while those who earn more, like me, will pay more. The program will make the healthcare system accessible to all Kenyans, not just individuals,” the President has said.
The President argues that his UHC agenda will reshape healthcare for future generations by addressing access, financial inclusion, technological integration, and funding. “We want to ensure the health system in Kenya is not a privilege of a few but the right of every Kenyan who requires affordable medical care.”
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