NHIF building in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
The Government has suspended NHIF's limit to outpatient services with immediate effect.
NHIF initially had fixed the visits to hospitals to a maximum of 4 per year.
The CS of health has called on all Kenyans to enjoy the unlimited services as it has been before.
The statement read, "The cabinet secretary of Health has suspended with immediate effect the decision by NHIF to limit the outpatient visits to only four per year until further notice. This is until further consultations are held between the NHIF board and other stakeholders".
On Wednesday, NHIF abolished the requirement of any patients to pre-select health facilities for outpatient services.
CEO Geoffrey Mwangi said, "it will no longer be a requirement for members to receive outpatient services in a facility they had initially selected".
According to the old system, it was a requirement that you only access outpatient services in the hospitals that you earlier chose.
Previously, members were restricted. They were supposed to furnish NHIF with a list of hospitals they prefer at the beginning of each year.