The Social Health Authority (SHA) invited expressions of interest from licensed overseas healthcare providers to offer specialised medical services to Kenyan patients seeking treatment outside the country.
In a public notice by the SHA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, the contracting exercise targets overseas healthcare providers with the capacity to deliver highly specialised medical interventions that are not readily available in Kenya.
The services will be offered to beneficiaries covered under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund, and the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund (POMSF).
The authority said the move is anchored in the Social Health Insurance Act of 2023, which mandates SHA to contract and empanel healthcare providers for the delivery of health services under the national health insurance framework.
SHA is also guided by regulations governing the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund.
SHA has gazetted an overseas benefit package and tariffs, which outlines the list of medical interventions eligible for treatment abroad.
The list, developed by the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel, covers procedures that cannot be accessed locally and is available on the authority’s website.
For POMSF beneficiaries, SHA stated that the overseas services will cover additional specialised treatments sought upon referral at negotiated costs.
The costs will include medical evaluations, laboratory and imaging services, treatment interventions, accommodation before and after treatment, patient transfers between healthcare providers where necessary, and any other incidental medical expenses.
Interested overseas healthcare providers have been directed to meet strict eligibility and qualification requirements, including proof of registration, accreditation in their country of origin, recognition by relevant Kenyan authorities, and valid licenses for specialist doctors expected to deliver the services. Providers must also demonstrate linkage with an empanelled healthcare facility in Kenya capable of follow-up care.
The SHA boss noted that all mandatory application documents must be submitted on the provider’s official letterhead and duly certified by a notary public. Incomplete or non-responsive submissions will be disqualified.
Applications are to be submitted within 14 days of the commencement date through SHA’s official procurement channels, including the authority’s website, the Public Procurement Information Portal, and Kenyan embassies and high commissions.
Successful applicants will be notified in writing and required to execute contract documents within seven days.
The authority noted that the overseas contracting notice will remain continuously open and subject to periodic updates.
According to the notice, SHA also reserves the right to verify submitted information, negotiate tariffs, and publish the list of contracted overseas healthcare providers in the Kenya Gazette and on its official platforms.
The authority has been facing challenges in its efforts to deliver to Kenyans.
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