TSC is ordered by SHA to discontinue Minet in favor of new teachers’ medical insurance.
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has recommended that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) cancel its existing medical insurance agreement with Minet Kenya and enroll teachers in the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund instead.
This audacious proposal comes just days after the TSC told the Parliament’s Education Committee that SHA was unable to incorporate more than 300,000 instructors from around the nation into its healthcare system.
In addition to this, Parliament has deemed the deal an “amorphous structure” and is now urging TSC to end its contract with Minet Insurance brokers and a consortium of underwriters that provide medical cover services to teachers.
According to Kibra MP Peter Orero, instructors have complained that they are not given medication when they go to the consortium-approved hospitals and that they are instead forced to pay for it out of their own pocket.
Alternatively, the majority of teachers in Orero were being refused treatment at healthcare institutions and told they were not registered under the medical system.
The Commission’s lawyer tried to explain that the agreement with the consortium would expire in November of this year and that the decision on whether teachers would be integrated into the “enhanced” SHA system would be made at that time, but these attempts were met with opposition and calls to end the contract sooner.
“What sort of insurance coverage is this?” It’s a mixed breed. It lacks a head or tail. You are acquiring an insurer, a capitator, and an administrator through a lead consortium. A really amusing kind of insurance. “You have to get out of this thing,” Melly stated.
“We cannot continue to conduct things the same way and expect different results. The consortium is an amorphous organization that doesn’t provide services,” stated Luanda MP Dick Maungu.
Joseph Makilap, the representative for Baringo North, advocated for teacher banding in order for them to have access to superior health care.
“As TSC terminates this contract in the next six months, teachers will suffer. I propose that we divide them in lots and get them good insurance covers or we bundle them to SHA and God help us all,” Makilap remarked.
All teachers and their dependents are eligible for the Social Health Authority (SHA) benefits package, which is administered by three main funds—the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHC), the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF)—according to SHA. Nevertheless, the SHA stresses that companies like TSC may provide supplemental coverage for additional perks through reputable private underwriters.
At present, TSC offers medical coverage through Minet Kenya, a private insurance provider. SHA advised the commission to rethink its arrangement by switching to the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund, explaining that it does not oversee the Minet cover. With this fund, TSC would be able to offer free benefits based on a government-managed budget as opposed to relying on private providers.
Currently, more than 21.6 million Kenyans have already registered with SHA, and about 50,000 new registrations are being added every day. To guarantee service availability, SHA has also established partnerships with more than 8,000 healthcare facilities across the country.
Concerns about the quality, accessibility, and administration of the current Minet medical plan continue to arise, fueling the discussion about teachers’ medical insurance. Teachers’ unions and other education stakeholders have often brought up problems with service delays, inadequate medications, and negative hospital experiences under the Minet scheme.
In the near future, if TSC follows SHA’s recommendation, teachers may see a major change in the way their health insurance is handled, which may enhance healthcare access and save the commission millions in insurance expenses each year.