Patients heading to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) under the new Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme will now need to follow stricter admission procedures to access inpatient services.
In a public advisory, KNH made it clear that SHA will only cover inpatient costs if the admission is properly documented and referenced in advance. This is part of the hospital’s ongoing shift to align with SHA requirements and support the country’s push for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
To be admitted under SHA, patients must show up with a valid national ID that is registered with the SHA system and tied to an active Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) account. Without these, access under the new plan will be denied.
Another key requirement is securing a reference number from SHA before visiting the facility. Patients must also present a confirmation message showing that their intended visit has been logged into the SHA system.
If a patient’s SHIF account is inactive at the time of admission, they must first activate it, then return to the hospital’s Health Information Desk to request a fresh reference number. Only then can they be covered under SHA from the new date of reference issuance.
KNH says these measures are designed to ensure that only eligible and properly documented patients benefit from SHA coverage, in line with national efforts to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all Kenyans.
