The lives of several former MPs are stake.
HotNews has established that a good number of the former MPs are living in abject poverty and unable to foot their daily bills.
However, it’s worse for those who are sick and seeking treatment.
The MPs said the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has not renewed their medical cover that they started under the caucus of Former Parliamentary Association (FOPA).
The cover was dubbed SUPA cover.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a former MP said NHIF has failed to new the cover saying it was not approved by the NHIF board.
“We have been paying the required premiums. Now we cannot be treated under the cover and we have to pay cash in hospitals. Some of us are old with no income and paying cash is straining us,” said the former MP.
Since January 2018, former Governors, Senators, women representatives and MPS started benefitting from NHIF SUPA cover.
NHIF was paying to the tune of Sh7.5 million and Sh300, 000 for in-patient and out-patient respectively.
However, In December last year, NHIF is reported to have discontinued the cover.
“I went to hospital on 25th January and was shocked. I was told our SUPA cover has been discontinued,” said a former female MP.
The Fund rolled out the enhanced package to FOPA association through scheme member registration so as to have complete data for ease of identification at the point of service.
The enhanced package custom made for FOPA ensured that NHIF covers principal members on family shared basis covering the principal member and the dependents.
The eligible beneficiaries are members of FOPA Association Kenya, a spouse declared by the principal member and the children to 21 years of age and/or to 25 years if in full time formal education.
For the premium charged, the members were accessing an enhanced benefit package that includes; inpatient services, outpatient services, local ambulance services, emergency air rescue, laboratory and X-ray services, optical cover, maternity cover, dental cover, substance abuse and rehabilitation, diabetes, renal dialysis, cancer treatment and last expense and group life cover.
By the time of going to press, NHIF acting CEO Nicodemus Odongo had not responded to our queries on why the Fund has not renewed the (FOPA) members SUPA cover.