Kenyans have breathed a sigh of relief following the government’s intervention in the impasse between the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH).

This now means Kenyans will continue using their NHIF cards at private health facilities until June 30, 2022.

The Chief Administrative Secretary for Health Mercy Mwangangi announced another 5-month extension of the current contract between NHIF and KAPH after a closed-door zoom meeting on Monday.

The meeting was attended by the Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, CAS Mwangangi, NHIF boss Peter Kimunyo among other heads of various hospitals.

As patients with NHIF continue receiving services from private health facilities, negotiations are still on course and hopefully, NHIF and KAPH will have reached the common ground by the time the 5-month extension lapses.

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KAPH threaten to cease rendering services to all patients depending on their NHIF cover beginning February.

The association’s Secretary-General Timothy Olweny announced last Friday that Monday would mark the end of the previous 7-month extension of the agreement they had with NHIF.

“Come Monday, January 31, which marks the end of our seven-month extension of the contract with NHIF, we, the private hospitals, won’t be in a position to offer services to patients depending on NHIF,” Olweny said.