Government Seeks More Funds For Cancer And ICU Treatment

The government is seeking additional funding through a supplementary budget to boost cancer treatment and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) financing.

The proposed changes include increasing ICU funding from the current daily rebate of Sh4,480 to Sh28,000 per day.

Additionally, the oncology (cancer) package will be expanded from Sh400,000 to Sh550,000 per household per year.

Following a review, the revised benefits and tariffs will undergo the necessary legal processes for gazettement.

The government has also revealed that 107,831 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) are currently operating across the country. To support them, the National Government has supplied 100,000 CHP kits, which include medicines, supplies, and smartphones.

The government has allocated a monthly stipend of Sh2,500 per CHP, with county governments matching this amount, bringing the total payment to Sh5,000 per CHP. These payments have been disbursed across all counties up to December 2024.

Additionally, 8,571 healthcare workers have transitioned under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.

Improved Means Testing for SHA Contributions

The government has tapped into data from various ministries and state agencies to enhance the Means Testing (MT) model for Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions.

According to SHA, a new Means Testing algorithm is under development and will rely on data triangulation from multiple government databases to improve accuracy. Agencies contributing data include the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Immigration Department, Hustler Fund, Communications Authority (CA), Registrar of Companies, Kenya Power (KPLC), Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Ministry of Cooperatives, and the Ministry of Lands through the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS).

“Data has been requested,” SHA confirmed, adding that the new model aims to refine the assessment of individuals’ financial capability.

Once the improved Means Testing instrument is in place, the government plans to introduce Insurance Premium Financing to support households with irregular incomes. The initiative will prioritize informal sector groups, including cooperatives, boda boda operators, jua kali workers (4.3 million), and drivers and conductors (1 million).