For many Kenyan households, falling sick still means reaching into savings, borrowing or relying on community fundraising to access care.
Despite ongoing reforms in the health sector, a large share of Kenyans remain outside formal medical insurance, with rising treatment costs continuing to push families into out-of-pocket spending.
It is this gap that insurers are now attempting to address by shifting away from individual cover models and instead embedding health insurance within organised community structures.
Jubilee Health Insurance has partnered with the Sikh Council of Kenya to roll out a community-based medical cover targeting members of the Sikh community, in one of the latest examples of insurers turning to faith-based and social networks to expand uptake.
The scheme allows members to access inpatient and outpatient services through pooled contributions, with benefits ranging from Sh250,000 to Sh10 million depending on the chosen plan. Children as young as 38 weeks and adults up to 65 years are eligible, with enrolment coordinated through appointed community agents.
