The Social Health Authority (SHA) in Kenya has granted an extension to healthcare providers to conclude contract signings with the State agency by October 14. This development allows hospitals, clinics, and medical practitioners to continue treating registered scheme members and claiming reimbursements. The extension comes after the expiry of Healthcare Provider Contracts (HCPs) on September 30, 2026.
According to SHA chief executive officer, Mercy Mwangangi, healthcare providers who accept the extension will continue serving patients registered in the scheme. Those who decline will have to liaise with SHA county managers to transfer patients under treatment to other contracted facilities. Providers will be issued with an extension to the HCP contract ending September 3, 2026, to cover the 14-day extension period accessed through the e-contracting platform.
The extension gives healthcare providers more time to join the 2026 to 2029 HAKIKA cycle, which sets the terms for providing services to SHA beneficiaries for the next three years. The HAKIKA cycle was launched by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in September, alongside the e-contracting platform. This cycle follows the inaugural 2024 to 2026 cycle and outlines services, benefit packages, negotiated tariffs, reimbursement terms, claims processing, reporting requirements, and quality standards.
Some healthcare providers have raised concerns over provisions relating to claims payments and deductions arising from claims audits, as well as conditions attached to the SHA's obligation to pay claims. The new framework aims to provide clearer terms on reimbursement, benefits, quality standards, and dispute resolution. The Ministry of Health introduced the new system to address concerns raised during the first 2024 to 2026 cycle regarding tariffs, delayed claim payments, pre-authorisation, system reliability, and empanelment.
Providers complete the contracting process through the SHA's e-contracting platform, submitting documents, verifying licences, providing service and banking details, and tracking their applications. As of October 1, 10,006 providers had expressed interest in the new cycle and were at various stages of the process. This was an increase of 2,762 providers in four days from 7,244 providers on September 27.
The SHA had warned that facilities without completed agreements for the 2026 to 2029 cycle would lose access to beneficiaries from October 1 and have their provider portal access switched off. Level 2 facilities accounted for 3,512 of the earlier applications, followed by Level 3A with 1,751 applications and Level 3B with 885 applications.
The extension allows healthcare providers to continue serving SHA beneficiaries while finalising their contracts. SHA beneficiaries will continue to receive services in facilities that accept the 14-day extension period. Those who may not accept the extension are required to make arrangements with their respective SHA county managers for the transfer of patients receiving ongoing care to contracted providers.
Key points
- Healthcare providers in Kenya have been granted an extension to sign contracts with the Social Health Authority by October 14.
- The extension allows providers to continue serving patients registered in the SHA scheme.
- Over 10,000 healthcare providers have expressed interest in the 2026 to 2029 HAKIKA cycle.
