Civil servants urged to register in Kenya’s biometric health insurance system

Kenyan civil servants are being urged to complete biometric registration for the country’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to make it easier for them to access its services, reports The Star.

An NHIF official was speaking at a forum for civil servants held at a hotel, where he encouraged county governments to have their employees enroll in the biometric system to reduce the cost of healthcare. Registration of all eligible people for Kenya’s Universal Health Care scheme was also advised.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has committed to providing universal access to free healthcare by the end of 2022.

Fraud penalty doubled

Kenya’s government has doubled the financial penalty for those caught attempting fraud against the NHIF, Business Daily writes.

The fine for impersonating enrolled beneficiaries could now reach Sh1 million (approximately US$9,000), in addition to a possible two-year jail term.

“We have been experiencing fraudulent cases and attempts worth a lot more which is quite disappointing,” NHIF Chief Executive Peter Kamunyo said, according to Business Daily.

The report attributes the high fraud rate to the “lack of biometrics,” presumably meaning fingerprint scanners.

There were 10.4 million beneficiaries registered in the biometric health insurance system as of September.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  insurance  |  Kenya