Government plans to issue loans to non-salaried Kenyans (hustlers) who will struggle to pay for the compulsory Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) where monthly contributions will be 2.75% of the gross income.
The draft Social Health Insurance Regulations 2024 says while salaried persons will pay for the premiums monthly, those not in salaried employment will be required to make one annual payment based on the estimated 2.75% of their annual gross income.
The one-off payment is meant to overcome the rampant anti-selection challenge but presents a compliance burden for families, with the draft regulations allowing the Government to bar those without up to date contributions from accessing public services.
In the draft, the Social Health Authority (SHA) will work with the Ministry of Cooperatives & Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development in the provisions of loans to pay for the insurance.
