Tinderet Member of parliament Julius Melly has applauded  President Uhuru Kenyatta for suspending new National Hospital Insurance Fund(NHIF) rules.

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The Jubilee party legislator says the new regulations were uncalled for and punitive to Kenyans.

"I want to condemn the recent proposed changes of NHIF  rules the rules are uncalled for and only meant to burden poor Kenyans. Consultations and subsequent review of the regulations should be done before implementation," said the Tinderet MP. 

Melly spoke on Sunday during a fundraiser in Mosop Sub County where he said Universal Health care will not be achieved with such punitive proposals. 

“Universal Healthcare is a right, and I urge NHIF to reconsider their approach. The rules will discourage Kenyans from joining the scheme,” added the deputy president allied Jubilee party MP.

This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta last week directed the Ministry of Health to immediately halt implementation of the rules in what he said was to allow for further consultations.

Among the new, NHIF proposed news rules include require voluntary members who pay an annual subscription of Sh6,000 upfront and wait for six months before they can access services. It also limits a member to only include one spouse and a maximum of five children as dependents. 

For both maternity and specialized services, any dependent declared after initial registration shall be subjected to a 6-month waiting period, the guidelines indicate.

#Hivisasa Original