Social Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi. /HANDOUT
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has directed healthcare providers across the country to complete the renewal of their service contracts by September 30 to continue treating beneficiaries under the new 2026–2029 contracting cycle.
SHA said current provider contracts will expire on September 30, 2026, at 11.59pm, with facilities required to have executed new agreements before the deadline.
In a notice signed by chief executive officer Mercy Mwangangi, the authority said providers without executed contracts for the 2026–2029 cycle will not be allowed to offer services to SHA beneficiaries from October 1.
“The Social Health Authority notifies all healthcare providers/healthcare facilities that current provider contracts will expire on 30 September 2026 at 11:59pm,” SHA said.
The authority said providers that fail to complete the contracting process will have their access to the SHA provider portal switched off and will therefore be unable to render services to beneficiaries.
Providers seeking to continue offering services under SHA have been urged to finalise their applications through the SHA E-Contracting Portal before the deadline.
SHA directed facilities that would not have completed the contracting process by the deadline to make arrangements for patients receiving ongoing care to be transferred to contracted providers to avoid interruptions in treatment.
“All providers are urged to complete outstanding contracting requirements promptly to avoid interruptions to services for beneficiaries,” the authority said.
The deadline comes as healthcare facilities also face the expiry of an extended compliance period for the Health Management Information System (HMIS) requirements, which also ends on September 30.
Under the new contracting arrangements, hospitals are required to have their digital systems certified and integrated with the Digital Health Agency (DHA) to remain eligible to provide services under SHA.
The push to have providers sign the new contracts comes amid concerns raised by private and faith-based hospital associations over some provisions contained in the 2026–2029 contracting terms.
Healthcare stakeholders have particularly raised concerns over clauses making SHA payments conditional on National Assembly appropriations and another provision stating that no interest will accrue on delayed payments.
The concerns have added to ongoing friction between SHA and healthcare providers over the terms governing reimbursement and the delivery of services under the public health insurance system.
SHA, however, has maintained the September 30 deadline, warning that providers without executed contracts will lose access to its provider portal and will not be permitted to serve SHA beneficiaries from October 1.
Providers seeking clarification have been directed to contact SHA through its customer service channels.
