In its first week of implementation, the government reported, close to 13 million registrations had been logged with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Further, SHA Chairperson Dr Abdi Mohamed confirmed that services offered under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) are now available in 1,442 contracted health facilities countrywide.
Dr Mohamed, however, noted that of the 12,704,548 registrations SHA beneficiaries had added about 222,000 dependants. This follows an exercise that saw verified NHIF members onboarded to SHA.
The Authority has urged beneficiaries to visit www.sha.go.ke or www.afyayangu.go.ke or dial *147# to add dependants.
How to add biological & adopted children as dependants on SHA
According to the terms and conditions outlined by SHA, all dependants added to the cover will access benefits under the primary insured’s policy.
- How to add a biological child
This will require the child’s birth certificate or birth notification reference number if the dependant is under 18 years of age and their National ID if they are above 18.
Beyond 21 years of age and up to 25-year-olds will be accepted as dependants if proof of enrollment in school is appended.
Biological children will only remain covered after 25 if they are disabled and under the parent’s care.
- How to add adopted children as dependants on SHA
This will require the child’s adoption documents in addition to their National ID if they are above 18.
Beyond 21 years of age and up to 25, they will be accepted as dependants if proof of enrollment in school is also provided and will only remain covered after 25 if they are disabled and under the adoptive parent’s care.
- How parental guardians can add wards as dependants on SHA
Court-appointed parental guardians will also be able to add the wards in their care as SHA dependants
The rules for adding child dependants will apply with the only different requirement being court documents indicating assumption of parental responsibilities.
- How to add a spouse
A marriage certificate will be required when adding a spouse to SHA with the alternative of an affidavit or a letter from your area chief.
One will also be required to provide their spouse’s phone number. SHA will then send a one-time PIN (OTP) to the dependant spouse for their consent.
- Disabled dependants
Primary caregivers will only be allowed to add disabled dependants if they are immediate family members, that is, mother, father, sister or brother.
The dependant’s National ID number will be required for registration.
READ: SHIF Implementation: Kenyans infiltrate crucial meeting to voice concerns
With the introduction of the biological child and adoptive child distinctions, the SHA medical financing scheme provides an avenue for those in co-parenting arrangements to plan for healthcare.
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