Social Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi. /HANDOUTThe Social Health Authority (SHA) has extended the deadline for healthcare providers to complete their contracting requirements to December 31, 2026.
The extension gives hospitals and other health facilities additional time to finalise the process.
In a notice dated October 15, 2026, SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi announced that the transition period for existing healthcare provider contracts, which was scheduled to expire on October 14, would now run until the end of the year.
The extension is intended to give facilities more time to complete outstanding contracting requirements, address challenges encountered during the process and ensure uninterrupted healthcare services for beneficiaries.
“The Social Health Authority (SHA) informs all healthcare providers that the transition period for existing healthcare provider contracts, previously scheduled to lapse on 14th October 2026, has been further extended to 31st December 2026,” Mwangangi stated in the notice.
Under the revised timeline, existing contracts covering the 2024–2026 period will remain in force throughout the extension.
This will allow contracted facilities to continue operating under the current arrangements as they prepare for the next contracting cycle.
SHA has set January 1, 2027, as the commencement date for the new contracting cycle.
"Providers
are requested to complete the contracting process and ensure their new
contracts are signed and effective by that 31st December 2026," added the notice.
The authority also directed all facilities to submit the required documentation, warning that the earlier moratorium on selected documents no longer applies.
The extension comes as the authority seeks to facilitate the transition to the new contracting arrangements while maintaining access to healthcare services for beneficiaries under the Social Health Insurance framework.
According to the notice, beneficiaries will continue accessing services at facilities with valid contracts during the extension period.
SHA also assured healthcare providers that valid claims lodged during the period would be honoured, providing clarity on the handling of claims as facilities work towards completing the new contracting requirements.
The authority said it would continue working closely with healthcare providers and facilities to ensure a smooth contracting process.
It added that further guidance and support would be provided through the ongoing HAKIKA contracting clinics at SHA county offices, where facilities can seek assistance with outstanding requirements and the contracting process.
Healthcare providers seeking clarification have been directed to contact their nearest SHA county office or email the authority’s Contract Management department.
The extension gives facilities an additional two and a half months beyond the previous October 14 deadline to address outstanding requirements before the new contracting cycle begins.
