PRIVATE HOSPITALS SUSPEND SHA COVER OVER UNPAID BILLIONS

Private hospitals across Kenya have stopped accepting the Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance cover and are now demanding cash from patients, citing massive unpaid claims.
The Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) said its members will only offer services to SHA beneficiaries on a cash basis until billions of shillings owed are settled. The association accuses the government of delaying reimbursements and carrying forward huge debts from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
RUPHA estimates that hospitals are owed about KSh76 billion, including KSh33 billion in legacy NHIF arrears and KSh43 billion in unsettled SHA claims. The group warned that without urgent payments, many private hospitals could shut down or permanently abandon the SHA scheme by December.
The Ministry of Health and SHA are yet to issue a formal response, raising fears that the standoff could strain public hospitals as more patients turn to government facilities for care.