- EDITOR’S BRIEF: The new medical insurance scheme offered by CIC Insurance has left many police officers dissatisfied with limited benefits and restricted access to health facilities. The scheme was enlisted after the NHIF comprehensive medical cover ended over cost concerns. While police commanders have urged all officers to register to enable access to the new system, some officers are unaware of the details of the scheme.
- The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has recommended improved health welfare for police, including ensuring that the police medical insurance scheme covers mental health and rehabilitation and establishing a welfare/benevolent fund managed by NPS. The NPS and Ipoa did not respond to inquiries about the specific details of the scheme.
Police officers in Kenya are unhappy with the new medical insurance scheme offered by CIC Insurance, which they say has limited benefits and restricts the health facilities they can access. The discontent is mostly among junior officers who used to be covered under the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
During the changeover from NHIF to CIC Insurance in January, National Police Service Commission chairperson Eliud Kinuthia asked officers to be patient since the transition would take a while. However, officers have reported that the outpatient cover provided by the new scheme is inadequate and makes it difficult for them to access quality medical services at any private hospital in the country.
The new medical insurer was enlisted after the NPS and the Kenya Prisons Service ended the NHIF comprehensive medical cover over cost concerns. NHIF had bid for the renewal of the contract at an annual cost of KES 9.3 billion. Police and prisons officers eventually settled on a consortium of health providers led by CIC General Limited Insurance, which was awarded the tender at a cost of KES 8.6 billion.
Police commanders in various stations across the country were urged to ensure that all officers are registered to enable access to the new system. However, it emerged that some police officers are unaware of the details of the scheme, with at least five other police officers interviewed by Nation unable to tell their limits for different services including outpatient, inpatient, or maternity services.
The National Police Service Commission said it had received the feedback from police officers and that the commission’s chairperson would respond to the issues. On her part, Police Spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango said they had received complaints at the beginning of the year and measures were taken to rectify the situation.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) recommended improved health welfare for police, including ensuring that the police medical insurance scheme covers mental health and rehabilitation and establishing a welfare/benevolent fund managed by NPS. The NPS and Ipoa did not respond to inquiries about the specific details of the scheme.
CIC Insurance did not respond to queries by Nation regarding the complaints by police officers. Nation had asked if the consortium was aware of the concerns raised by police officers and, if so, what steps had been taken to address the challenges. Nation was informed that the questions would be handled by the CIC General Manager, Marketing and Customer Experience Joseph Kamiri, but no response had been given by the time of going to press.
