Advertisement
What Kenyans need to know about Social Health Authority (SHA)
20th August, 2025 01:38 PM
The Social Health Authority (SHA) is Kenya’s new health insurance system created to ensure every Kenyan can access affordable, quality healthcare.
It replaces the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and is guided by the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
According to a report by the Social Health Authority, SHA is built on ensuring a healthier, more equitable future for all through comprehensive coverage and quality care without financial worry.
The Social Health Authority is established under section 25 of the Social Health Insurance Act and is utilised to pool all contributions made under the Act.
SHA is designed to provide healthcare services from empanelled and contracted healthcare providers and healthcare facilities on referral from primary health facilities.
Likewise, the Social Health Authority ensures that every resident in Kenya can access a comprehensive range of quality health services they need without the burden of financial hardship.
According to the authority, the benefits under the Social Health Authority include preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services. These are provided at level 4, 5, and 6 health facilities under the fund.
Who qualifies to register?
Well, with SHA, every person resident in Kenya is required to apply for registration to the Authority as a member of the Social Health Authority within ninety days upon the coming into force of these Regulations.
Likewise, the application must be accompanied by a copy of the national identification document or any other approved document, and for children without identification, documentation provided by the state department responsible for social protection will be needed during registration.
SHA digitisation
The Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary recently announced that the Ministry of Health has replaced OTP verifications with mandatory biometric or app-based approvals for all services under the Social Health Authority in a nationwide push to combat fraud and modernise healthcare.
Meanwhile, as Kenya’s healthcare system is undergoing a digital overhaul, with the government officially scrapping One-Time Password (OTP) authorisation for medical service approvals under the Social Health Authority (SHA), Daule revealed that as of August 2025, patient approvals at SHA-accredited facilities must be completed using biometric verification or a newly introduced mobile application dubbed Practice 360.
