SHA releases Sh4 billion to clear verified NHIF claims of up to Sh10 million

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has announced that the government has released Sh4 billion to settle verified outstanding claims owed to healthcare facilities by the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) for claims amounting to Sh10 million and below.

The funds will benefit 3,527 healthcare facilities, with a nationwide sign-off exercise set to begin this month. SHA is also seeking additional funding to clear claims above Sh10 million.

The announcement marks a significant step in addressing long-standing payment concerns involving healthcare providers that had pending claims inherited from the now defunct NHIF system.

In a notice issued on July 4,2026, SHA said the released funds will be used to settle verified hospital claims for healthcare facilities with outstanding amounts of Sh10 million and below. Before payments are processed, however, healthcare providers will be required to complete a formal sign-off process.

According to the authority, “eligible healthcare facilities will be required to execute sign-off agreements confirming that their verified defunct NHIF claims have been fully settled.”

SHA said officers have been deployed to county offices across the country to facilitate the process and ensure payment procedures run smoothly.

“To ensure the seamless processing and payment of all eligible healthcare providers, the Social Health Authority has deployed a team of officers to County offices to facilitate the sign-off exercise,” the notice stated.

The authority added that completion of the process “will pave the way for the release of payments.”

A regional sign-off schedule released by SHA shows that the exercise will begin on July 6 in the Western region at the SHA office in Kisumu before moving to other parts of the country, including Eldoret, Nakuru, Nyeri, Embu, Nairobi, Mombasa and Garissa throughout the month.

Meanwhile, SHA said it is also pursuing the settlement of larger outstanding claims inherited from NHIF.

The authority announced that it is seeking budgetary support from the National Treasury in the 2026/2027 financial year to facilitate payment of claims exceeding Sh10 million per facility.

According to SHA, the request will benefit 451 healthcare facilities and the claims involved have already undergone verification.

“The claims have undergone the requisite verification process,” the authority said, adding that further updates and additional information would be shared with stakeholders as the process progresses.