This article will show you how to pay the NHIF penalty via Mpesa. It is a very simple process, but it can be difficult for those unfamiliar with the system.
But first things first, lets us understand what NHIF penalty payment is and why you are supposed to pay it is.
According to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), a penalty is a surcharged fine on self-employed members who miss, default or are late in making their monthly contributions.
The purpose of the penalty is to compel people to make their contributions on time so that the parastatal can have enough money to pay for healthcare services.
For this reason, a contribution to the NHIF must be made before the ninth date of each month. Any payment received after the 9th of each month incurs an extra fee of Ksh 250.
This is to say that, suppose your monthly contribution is, let’s say, Ksh 500, and you make the payment on the 10th of the month, instead of Ksh 500, you will be required to pay Ksh 750. The additional Ksh 250 is what NHIF refers to as the penalty.
Related: NHIF Status in Kenya
How to Pay NHIF Penalty via Mpesa
If you have missed or delayed making your contribution, and you now want to pay the NHIF penalty, follow these steps:
- Go to your M-Pesa menu and select Lipa na M-Pesa.
- Select Pay Bill.
- Enter the NHIF Business No. 200222.
- Enter your National ID as the account number followed by the letter “y” at the end. e.g 0987654321y.
- Pay the Ksh 250 penalty fee for the months defaulted. If you have missed six months, you will pay Ksh 1,500 as a penalty.
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN and press Ok.
- You will receive an acknowledgment SMS from Safaricom and NHIF confirming the transaction.
It is important to know that the penalty must be paid before making your monthly contribution.
This means that if you have not yet made your monthly contribution for the month, you are paying the penalty. You will then pay the full amount of Ksh 1,000 (the monthly contribution plus the penalty).
See also How to Pay NHIF Via M-Pesa.
However, if you have already made your monthly contribution and are only paying the penalty, you will pay the Ksh 250 for each month defaulted.
As you can see, it is relatively easy to pay your NHIF penalty via Mpesa. However, should you have any problems or questions, feel free to contact NHIF customer care.
They will be more than happy to assist you. Thank you for reading!
