Kuppet threatens strike over suspended TSC Minet medical coverage in private hospitals

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has threatened to go on strike after their medical coverage in private hospitals was suspended. Union officials have accused the government of taking deductions from teachers’ salaries for healthcare contributions but not forwarding those payments, which has left many teachers without necessary medical services.

KUPPET’s Deputy Secretary General, Moses Nthurima, mentioned that the union is exploring various options, including legal action, to advocate for their rights. The union has raised concerns about the Social Health Authority (SHA), alleging that its leadership has not adequately protected teachers’ healthcare interests.

The strike threat from KUPPET coincides with private hospitals already halting medical services for teachers and police officers covered under MAKL due to unpaid claims. These hospitals assert that the government has not paid outstanding bills totaling Ksh 30 billion for over 10 months, a claim the government disputes, citing a lack of supporting evidence.

Minet Contract to run up to end of 2026

In December of last year, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) extended the Minet Medical Cover for an additional two years, ensuring that teachers will have medical coverage until the end of 2026.

This renewal allows teachers and their dependents to continue accessing healthcare services at both public and private facilities under the TSC medical scheme.

Minet medical cover benefits

According to the contract, teachers in the lowest Job Grade B5, which includes primary teacher II, are entitled to an inpatient coverage of Ksh1 million, while outpatient coverage has been set at Ksh150,000.

On the other hand, teachers in the highest job group, D5, which includes Chief Principals, are entitled to Ksh3 million for inpatient coverage and Ksh450,000 for outpatient coverage.

Additionally, all teachers will continue to receive dental and optical coverage at flat rates of Ksh45,000 and Ksh60,000, respectively, regardless of their job grade. Maternity coverage will vary, ranging from Ksh120,000 for Job Group B5 to Ksh300,000 for Job Group D5 (Chief Principals), with final expenses capped at Ksh300,000 for all teachers from B5 to D5.

The TSC has renewed the Aon Minet Medical Cover for the 2025-2026 period.

All employed teachers aged between 18 and 65, with only one spouse, will be eligible for the coverage, which also includes four dependent children (both biological and adopted). This coverage will extend from birth until the children reach 18 years of age, or 25 years if they are living with their parents and enrolled in a recognized post-secondary institution. There is no age limit for children with verified disabilities.

The medical cover will provide inpatient benefits, including fees for doctors (physicians, surgeons, and anesthetists), ICU/HDU/critical care and theater charges, medications, dressings, internal surgical appliances, laboratory tests, imaging services (X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs), radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and various forms of inpatient therapy.

Outpatient benefits will cover routine consultations, prescribed diagnostic laboratory and radiology services, prescribed physiotherapy, medications and dressings, referrals to specialists, treatment for HIV/AIDS-related conditions, and newly diagnosed chronic conditions, all up to the full coverage limit per family per year.

Maternity benefits for principal members and/or their spouses will include delivery and doctor’s fees, routine antenatal check-ups, postnatal care, routine immunizations, emergency cesarean sections, elective cesarean sections, and normal deliveries, among other benefits.

Dental benefits are Dental consultations and Anesthetist’s, Dental X-rays and Root canal treatment, Tooth Extraction, Scalling necessitated by a prevailing medical condition and prescribed by a dentist, Dentures necessitated by an accident/injury, Deformation surgery, and Dental crowns. Optical benefits are Cost of lenses and frames, Prescription by an Ophthalmic treatment and eye lenses, Ophthalmic ultrasound if prescribed by the Ophthalmologist, and Surgery.

On the other hand, the cover also entails Medical Emergency Road and Air Evacuation, International Travel and Referral Allocation, Chronic, Critical and terminal disease management which includes Cancer, Kidney failure, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, liver disease among others, Drug and substance abuse including alcoholism and associated rehabilitation, Work related trauma among other benefits.

Minet registers about 7,000 outpatient visits daily, 300 new admissions per day, 400 dental cases daily, and 400 optical cases in a day. The scheme also boasts a fully automated system for registration, approvals, claiming, and settlement.