Population Services Kenya (PS Kenya) through its Family Health Network brand- Tunza Clinics, has partnered with Insurance For All (IFA), a micro-insurance provider to increase access to quality healthcare to low income earners across the country.
Through the partnership, members of IFA, an Insurance Agency which specializes in connecting low-and-middle income earners to affordable and tailored insurance services, will be able to access healthcare at all Tunza Family Health Network facilities in Kenya without paying out of pocket.
Additionally, under the agreement, IFA members will also be able to access family planning and other reproductive health services at Tunza facilities—in addition to the full range of conditions covered. This is a first in the industry, as family planning and reproductive health is typically not covered by most insurance providers.
“This partnership signals yet another milestone in our efforts to ensure that Kenyans get quality healthcare without paying out of pocket. When a strategic partnership provides a pathway to achieving our goals, we join hands as we have with IFA,” said Joyce Wanderi, the CEO of PS Kenya.
Tunza facilities, which are licensed, privately owned and managed by PS Kenya under its franchise network called Tunza Family Health Network, are spread across the country, including in under-served communities such as urban slums and rural areas.
“We welcome PS Kenya as a partner. They are a strong and reputable partner and share similar aspirations and values, namely, to provide better and more affordable healthcare to those at the bottom of the pyramid and in most need,” said John Paul Otieno, the CEO of IFA at the signing ceremony.
In keeping with current health trends, IFA through its flagship productAfyaPoaoffers a comprehensive and affordable medical insurance product to the low- and middle-income segment, mainly in the informal sector.
“The move to include family planning in our covers marks an exciting new direction for us and I am glad we are working with PS Kenya on this, which has an exemplary track record in reproductive health,” added Otieno.
According to Ministry of Health, out-of-pocket expenses, which IFA’s and PS Kenya’s partnership seeks to eliminate, make up a third of Kenya’s total health expenditure, and leads to catastrophic health expenditure. “This explains why multiple studies show that medical bills are the leading cause of poverty in Kenya. This partnership is therefore not just about health, but prosperity as well,” said John Paul, adding that each shilling their members save thanks to having a medical cover that insulates them from out of pocket investment can be re-invested in their economic wellbeing.
Only about 20 per cent of Kenyans today have access to formal medical insurance, according to the World Bank, underlining the importance of innovative models that deepen access to insurance to the overlooked 80 per cent, who are largely middle-to-low income earners.
