NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Health has announced a major boost to the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits, increasing financial support for cancer patients and rolling out real-time claims tracking to streamline payments.
Speaking on Wednesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the government had increased coverage for High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services sixfold—from Sh4,600 to Sh28,000—eliminating the need for patients to pay out-of-pocket for critical care.
Cancer patients also received a boost, with the oncology care package expanded from Ksh. 400,000 to Ksh. 550,000 per household.
“These improvements reinforce our commitment to delivering a comprehensive and financially sustainable health system,” Barasa said.
The SHA, launched five months ago, has faced challenges, including delayed claims processing and system inefficiencies.
In response, the ministry is implementing reforms to improve service delivery.
To enhance coordination among healthcare facilities, the government will onboard 15 high-volume hospitals onto the Health Information Exchange (HIE) system, allowing seamless sharing of patient data.
Additionally, a 24-hour call center will be set up to provide real-time support for patients and healthcare providers.
A new claims tracking dashboard will also be introduced, enabling health facilities and county governments to monitor claims in real time.
The ministry will conduct nationwide training for health workers to accelerate claims processing and ensure timely reimbursements.
“We urge all healthcare providers to ensure timely and accurate submission of claims, which will speed up reimbursements and maintain seamless service delivery,” Barasa noted.
Despite early setbacks, the ministry says SHA is already making a difference, with over 500,000 Kenyans benefiting from the scheme and more than 18 million registered.
Barasa assured the public that ongoing technical issues would be resolved soon.
