Updated Tue, June 21st 2016 at 00:00 GMT +3Big private hospitals are yet to sign up to the NHIF outpatient cover. NHIF has been in a standoff with major private hospitals, which refused its initial proposal as too little to fund the healthcare needs of contributors. NHIF capped the annual benefits for out-patient services at between Sh1,200 and Sh1,400 depending on the hospitals, amounts major private hospitals rejected on grounds that they could not sustain their operations. But this has largely been reduced to a public hospital affair and low level private hospitals, some who have wanting service levels, after the established players rejected the NHIF rates. Mwangi also ruled out the possibility of reducing the monthly contributions down from the current Sh500 citing the high cost of medical services for self-employed contributors.

Source: Standard Digital June 20, 2016 21:00 UTC