The country’s close to 410,000 teachers are set to benefit from the enhanced multi-billion medical scheme.
This is after Minet Kenya Insurance brokers limited enhanced the medical cover after agreeing with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The scheme that for a period of 7 years facilitated the birth of 80,000 children will now see teachers who are married to each other register up to 8 children as primary members, Chief Executive Officer at Minet Kenya Sammy Muthui has said.
“Each teacher is considered a different person say for the example we have four children those 4 children are dependents in my benefit and in her benefit and say for example we have more than 4 children we can divide under whose benefit they go to, actually for teachers who are married they can have up to 8 children in the scheme,” Muthui said.
Nevertheless, teachers who are married to individuals outside the teaching profession can only register a maximum of four children.
This limitation is in accordance with the salaries and remuneration commission requirement for public sector employment, which stipulates one spouse and four children.
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“For teachers and anyone who has more than 4 children you choose the 4 you want covered; however, all schemes have a limitation on the number of children who are covered.
“Insurance can cover up to 20 children but what is your budget for that? You can cover the other if your scheme has a budget for that,” Muthui stated.
The teacher’s employer elaborated that the removal of group life insurance for teachers was not a deliberate action but rather a result of financial limitations caused by insufficient funds.
“It’s not that we did away with group life for teachers, it’s that we had to wait for some money from GOK and we have since been given Ksh1.3 billion for group life for teachers,” said the TSC CEO Nancy Macharia.
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The recent change is among the several adjustments made by the medical scheme provider to support teachers.
Story by Andrine Kilemi, TV47’s Education reporter
