The County Government of Murang’a and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2022, in recognition of the potential opportunities for improving access to quality health care for indigent families and the informal sector in Murang’a County in accordance with the principle of access to quality health care for all Kenyans through closer collaboration between the parties.
Murang’a County was the first county to launch a unique UHC pilot. The Unique UHC Pilot in Murang’a County aimed to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the poor and vulnerable in Murang’a County. They were the pioneer county to introduce additional benefits in the National scheme dubbed ‘Supa cover’ that included dental, and optical for their marginalized and underserved community members. This groundbreaking initiative aimed to address healthcare disparities and improve access to quality medical care in the region towards realization of Universal Health Coverage.
Valuable insights have been gained from the programme, which have helped inform the development of similar initiatives in other counties. The Unique UHC Pilot in Murang’a County has also been successful in reducing healthcare costs for residents and improving health outcomes.
The renewal will commence on 1st January 2024, until 31st December 2024. The indigents of Murang’a County government are entitled to the following benefit packages; Outpatient, inpatient, Maternity, Oncology, Radiology, Emergency evacuation, foreign treatment, Surgical, dialysis and Mental & behavioural Health. The benefits also include dental cover, Cost of fillings, X-Rays, Extractions up to a maximum of ksh 5,000, and Covering cost of eye glasses and eye testing upto a maximum of ksh 5,000 per beneficiary household. The planned UHC scale-up in Murang’a will increase sponsorship from the current 20,700 households to 38,865 indigent households, which will receive comprehensive health coverage under the expanded programme. This will significantly improve access to healthcare services for vulnerable populations in Murang’a and contribute to reducing health disparities in the region.
The additional indigents demonstrate the commitment of the Murang’a County Government to completing the government effort of 100% attainment of UHC by ensuring that no household is left behind in accessing healthcare services. The scale-up also highlights the county’s dedication to achieving equitable healthcare for all residents, regardless of their socio-economic status. This expansion will serve as a model for other counties in Kenya, inspiring them to prioritize UHC and work towards providing comprehensive health coverage to their indigent populations as well.
