CS Duale forms committee to address NHIF pending bills

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has established a new committee to resolve the matter of outstanding payments owed to medical facilities by the now defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

In a special gazette notice issued on Saturday, Duale stated that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Pending Medical Claims Verification Committee's primary mandate is to address the backlog of unsettled medical claims, which has placed significant strain on the health sector.

"This committee, chaired by James Masiro Ojee and consisting of eighteen other members, will scrutinize all pending claims accumulated between July 1, 2022, and September 30, 2024, establishing a clear framework to determine their validity," said CS Duale.

According to the CS, the committee will make recommendations on the settlement of genuine claims while identifying and flagging any fraudulent or irregular submissions for appropriate action.

Additionally, it will propose long-term reforms to prevent future claim backlogs, ensuring a transparent, accountable and efficient claims process.

The notice stated that the committee will establish clear criteria for thoroughly examining and analyzing pending medical claims to determine their legitimacy.

Further, it will also provide recommendations to the Ministry of Health on the appropriate actions for resolving or settling the identified claims.

The committee members include Edward Kiplimo Bitok, Meshack Matengo, Meboh Atieno Awour, Tom Nyakaba, Catherine Karori Bosire, Paul Wafula, Catherine Mungania, James Oundo, Jackline Mukami Njiru, Judith Awinja (Dr.), and David Dawe.