Health Insurance in Kenya

Abstract

Health insurance in Kenya was launched by the government in 1967 when they introduced National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to provide health care to Kenyans. Since then, the sector has grown widely due to liberalization of the industry and increase in the medical costs. In Kenya, the health care insurance is provided by both government and private insurers. This article aims to study the concept, benefits, and the growth of the health insurance in Kenya. It also highlights the health insurance plans available in the country. The study is based on secondary data collected from journals, articles, and Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) website. To study the growth of the health insurance in the country, premium, claims, and expense of 22 insurance companies offering health insurance from 2010 to 2018 were taken into consideration. Microsoft Excel was utilized for the analysis. The paper outlined the concept, health insurance plans, and their importance to the insured. The paper also revealed that the premium, claims, and expenses of the insurance companies increased constantly during the study period.