Polygamous families have been set to pay fewer deductions under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) if the new changes are approved.
During a Parliamentary meeting between the National Assembly Delegated Legislation Committee and Health Ministry officials on Thursday, the MPs raised concerns about the proposal requiring individuals with additional spouses to pay additional premiums under the medical scheme.
This means if a man has two wives, he is required by law to pay 2.75 per cent for each wife since they are recognised as different households. This means that the man would remit 5.5 per cent under the SHIF scheme.
The MPs argued that the proposal ought to be reviewed and the term 'additional spouse' replaced with 'households.'
If the proposal is approved, this implies that a man with two wives would only be required to pay 2.75 per cent, as it would be recognised as one household.
In response, Medical Services PS Harry Kimtai assured the lawmakers that the proposal would be considered and the language would be refined.
Committee Chairperson, Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) directed the PS to provide a corrigendum within a week, having incorporated the necessary changes.
A corrigendum in this case refers to a document that includes work that has been corrected in a publication.
During the proceedings, the Committee also raised concerns over whether the regulations would fulfill Kenyans' expectations.
The legislators noted that all considerations from Kenyans ought to be reviewed before rolling out the new medical scheme.
The Health Ministry stipulated that all Kenyans should register to the SHIF by June 30, 2024, before the official rollout on July 1, 2024.
In the meantime, Kenyans will still contribute to the initial National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) before the new scheme takes over.
Here is a sample of the SHIF Registration Form:
