Members of Parliament have threatened to cancel a Sh53 billion medical insurance deal between Minet Insurance Brokers Limited and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), citing poor administration of the scheme and service delivery to the tutors.
The MPs pointed out that the three-year contract, which began on December 1, 2022, covering teachers and their dependants, has not lived up to expectations, leaving teachers exposed when seeking medical services.
In a meeting with the management of Minet, the National Assembly Committee on Education said it has received numerous complaints from teachers over the medical insurance cover, calling for a review on whether there was value for taxpayers’ money.
Committee chairman Julius Melly (Tinderet) said they have heard harrowing experiences from teachers who are forced to wait for long hours before they can receive treatment from hospitals belonging to Bliss Healthcare Ltd, who administer the cover.
“Teachers go through harrowing experiences, they sit on the benches for so long waiting to be served yet they have insurance. Most hospitals end up turning them away. You have Sh53 billion from taxpayers yet you are not paying hospitals,” Mr Melly said.
The charged meeting saw MPs kick out Minet managing director Sammy Muthui, accusing him of not lying. His documents, they further said, were not in order. He has been directed to appear again before the committee next week on Tuesday.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera said the committee has a responsibility to protect how public funds are used and if the Minet cannot provide quality services to teachers, then the contract should be terminated.
“Tell us why this contract should not be terminated because you have failed to provide services. We have a responsibility to the Kenyan teacher, Sh53 billion is a large sum of money that cannot be treated casually,” Mr Nabwera said. Moiben MP Phyllis Bartoo said Minet has left teachers on their own.
“It seems the provider is just interested in money. If the consumers, who are the teachers, are not satisfied, why should we continue with this service?” Prof Bartoo posed.
Marakwet West MP Timothy Kipchumba said teachers are not getting services commensurate with the Sh53 billion Minet is pocketing from the Exchequer.
“Are you telling this committee that this money is not enough to provide quality healthcare to teachers in this country?” Mr Kipchumba asked.
The committee was told that Minet does not provide teachers with some of the services that are stipulated in the contract. For instance, it emerged that, while the contract states that teachers are not supposed to pay when visiting specialists, teachers who have petitioned the committee indicate that they are made to pay Sh500 before being allowed to access the services.
Minet is also on the spot over the long time it takes to respond to teachers’ queries, admission to hospitals, discharge and referral to better health facilities. During the session, it also emerged that a number given by the hospital for teachers to call in case of any queries was not going through. Mr Muthu was told to call the number and he was unsuccessful.
The lawmakers also pointed out that Bliss hospitals are ill-equipped and have inadequate health personnel.
Kiambu Woman Rep Ann Muratha claimed that some of the hospitals listed by Minet in her county do not exist.
“Where are these hospitals you have listed in your document that are available for teachers in Kiambu? I have never seen them yet I'm an MP from that region,” Ms Wamuratha said.
Responding to the claims, Mr Muthui told MPs that, while there were complaints, the firm had addressed most of them
On the delay in attending to teachers in case of referral or discharge, Mr Muthui said the delay in approval is occasioned by impersonation and delay in issuance of discharge summaries.
“We are administering public funds, hence must be strict on approval to mitigate fraud,” Mr Muthui told MPs.
He admitted that the company had encountered challenges but attributed it to the large number of teachers who seek services. However, he claimed, 95 per cent of the complaints are normally resolved promptly.
He said the services include international treatment of up to Sh2 million if the treatment required cannot be done locally and another Sh200, 000 to cater for people who will accompany the patient.
“This is one of the most comprehensive covers we have in this country,” Mr Muthui said. He added that it was against the scheme’s rules for patients to be asked to go through Bliss in order to get referrals.
