The M-Pesa mobile money platform can be deployed to pay for your National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). The NHIF has devised an effortless and convenient way for members to pay their monthly fees without any hassle. The NHIF is a state parastatal created in 1966 originally as a department under the Ministry of Health.
It has been modified over the years to cater to Kenyans’ dynamic healthcare needs and restructuring in the health sector. The current fund is governed by the NHIF Act No 9 of 1998. The government hoped that moving from a department under the Ministry of Health to the State of Corporation would improve efficiency and effectiveness.
What is the NHIF About?
Workers in the Kenyan economy’s formal sector have always been aware of the National Hospital Insurance Fund. All workers in the formal sector must have NHIF membership in the country. It enables thousands of Kenyans to access timely and efficient medical care without worrying about how costly it would be.
However, this benefit was only available to those in the formal sector. Workers in the informal sector did not have access to this membership. As a result, they were mostly overlooked when it came to proper medical service.
Eventually, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) created a provision that enabled self-employed folks and those in the informal sector to access this membership and pay via M-Pesa. It meant they could also benefit from the fund and access excellent medical care without worrying about the cost.
How does the NHIF Work?
The NHIF requires voluntary members, i.e., those in the informal sector, to make a monthly payment to the fund. The payments are made once every month and cost Ksh 500. It adds up to a total of Ksh 6000 for a year per each member.
Every member under the NHIF is issued with an NHIF membership card. This card is vital for when a member falls sick and visits a hospital affiliated with the NHIF or is covered by NHIF insurance in Kenya. Suppose a member is admitted to the hospital, the member will receive due care and service from the hospital until they are discharged. The hospital then sends an invoice to the NHIF seeking reimbursement. It means the member does not have to worry about the cost whatsoever.
There are over 400 hospitals that are covered by the NHIF insurance in Kenya. Thus, there is a very high chance that the hospital visited by a member will be under the insurance cover and accepts NHIF payments. NHIF also does not discriminate against any disease.
Every disease or ailment is covered by the fund. By becoming a member of the NHIF and paying your monthly dues regularly, your medical bills will be taken care of, and you will not have to worry about the cost.
Objectives of the NHIF
The NHIF was created to ensure all Kenyans have access to world-class healthcare services without worrying about the cost. The mission of the NHIF entails contributing to universal healthcare coverage in the provision of affordable and quality health insurance. Its vision is to be a top-class universal social health insurer. It also has the following objectives:
- Almost triple its number of primary members from 7 million in 2018 to 19 million by 2022
- Encourage cooperation in the sharing of information and resources with stakeholders and partners
- Ensure there is adherence to good governance
- Promote revenue inflow and sensible utilization of the inflow
How to Register for NHIF Online in Kenya
The NHIF was originally available to ensure civil servants had hospital cover. It is currently open to anyone resident in Kenya over 18 years old and has at least a monthly income of Ksh 1000.
Long before people paid with M-Pesa, simply registering for the NHIF was a tedious process. Interested individuals had to visit the NHIF office, form long queues, and wait almost a day for their official card and number. Thankfully, the process is now much easier for everyone. You can now register online conveniently, provided you have the required documents.
What you need for your online registration are:
- Scanned copy of your original identification means
- Current and clear passport photographs of you and your spouse (if you are married)
- Scanned copy of your marriage certificate (If you are married)
- Scanned copy of your national passport or alien certificate (If you are a citizen)
Now that you have the above documents, you can now proceed to begin your online registrations process by doing the following:
- Open your system’s browser and enter this link http://www.nhif.or.ke/healthinsurance/registeronline
- Click the ‘self-employed’ tag on the dashboard menu
- Select the type of identification that applies to you, i.e., Kenyan citizen or alien identity card
- Fill the form that comes up next with the right information and details. Do not make any mistakes.
- Now upload the scanned copies of the required documents
- Upload and attach the scanned copy of your current passport photograph
- Attach your marriage certificate as well if it applies
- Go through the information once again to check for errors. Click on ‘save’ to apply
- If successful, you will receive an SMS from NHIF confirming your application. You are now a member and can begin making the monthly payment of Ksh 500.
How to Pay the NHIF Monthly Fee Using M-Pesa Paybill Option
It has now become easier than ever to make your monthly NHIF payment. You can do it from the comfort of your home or office or wherever it is you find yourself. The M-Pesa mobile money platform eases the stress of your NHIF payment with the help of the paybill option. Just follow the steps below to make your NHIF monthly payment:
- Go to the M-Pesa menu on your phone
- Select the Lipa na M-Pesa option
- Click on the ‘Paybill’ option
- Enter the NHIF business number, which is their paybill number – 200222
- Enter your account number, which in this case is your national ID number
- Key in the amount you wish to send – Ksh 500 is the fee for the monthly payment
- Enter your secret M-Pesa pin
- Confirm all details are correct before pressing okay
- You will receive an SMS from M-Pesa confirming the success of your transaction
Remember, the NHIF paybill number for this transaction is 200222. This is what you enter in M-Pesa as NHIF’s business number when you pay. Entering an invalid or wrong paybill number means your transaction is wrong and won’t be received by the NHIF.
