PharmAccess mobilizes public and private resources for the benefit of doctors and patients through clinical standards and quality improvements, loans for healthcare providers, health insurance, mHealth innovations and operational research.
The County Government of Kisumu, Kenya on Monday, March 8, 2021, launched a unique universal health care insurance program with a focus on the inclusion of vulnerable households.
The Marwa Kisumu Solidarity Health Cover is an affordable and accessible medical cover targeting 90,000 poor households, with 45,000 to benefit from the first phase. Beneficiaries can access both inpatient and outpatient care under the NHIF Supa Cover benefits package being rolled out at initially 48 selected public health facilities that are evenly spread across the seven sub-counties.
The County is investing KES 67,500,000 ($616,000) as the first quarter premium payment for the 45,000 most vulnerable households.
County Government of Kisumu (CGK) signed an MoU with PharmAccess to develop a new model for UHC with county ownership and funding of premium subsidies, clear governance structures, ring-fenced finances and digitalization of scheme administration using the M-TIBA digital platform. In partnership with CGK and NHIF, PharmAccess and CarePay (the company that operates M-TIBA) implemented the initial stage of the Marwa Scheme by registering and identifying eligible households, assessing, connecting and training 49 healthcare facilities, and generally providing KCG with management and operational support to the scheme.
Marwa is anchored in the Kisumu County Health Act, 2019 which also stipulates the implementation of mandatory health insurance for all Kisumu residents. Any resident of Kisumu County will soon be able to self-pay into the Marwa NHIF SUPA Cover (by self-enrolling into NHIF) and enjoy the negotiated advantages for those in the Marwa scheme, if a bill currently before the Kisumu County Assembly sails through.
