The coronavirus pandemic is a pandemic of COVID-19. As of 17 March, 341,000 people have contracted the coronavirus and over 14,700 have died worldwide. Luckily, Kenyan insurance firms are providing coronavirus health and travel insurance cover.
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache and muscle pain. If you think you have been infected, contact the emergency coronavirus team on 0800 721316 (toll-free), 0729471414 and 0732353535 and self-isolate immediately. You can also receive information on the virus by dialling
*719#on Safaricom lines. You are advised to avoid non essential travels abroad.
Coronavirus in Kenya
As of March 13, 15 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Kenya. No one has died from the disease. Addressing the nation of March 16, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country was suspending travel from any country with reported COVID-19 cases. Only Kenyan citizens, and any foreigners with valid residence permits, will be allowed to come in. Schools and universities have also be closed.
Testing for the virus in Kenya is done at the laboratories of the National Influenza Centre hosted at the National Public Health Laboratories and Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi.
Insurance Companies Offering COVID-19 Insurance Cover
Although standard medical insurance excludes epidemics such as coronavirus, Kenya’s Insurance Regulatory Authority has said that insurance firms will cover all policy holders affected by the coronavirus. This was after consultation with the health insurance firms in the country. The Association of Kenya Insurers had earlier said that infected people will settle their own bills because of the classification of the disease pandemic.
In principle, all insurance companies in Kenya will provide coronavirus cover for policyholders with appropriate schemes. Some of the insurance companies offering this cover inclue:
- Please speak to your insurance provide to know what your policy may or may not cover.
Resolution Insurance
Resolution Insurance is one of insurance companies with health coverage. In a response to our email query, the company said, “Insurance [for coronavirus] will cover for the outpatients tests. Upon confirmation of coronavirus, we will seek guidance from government appointed facilities.”
UAP Old Mutual Group
UAP Old Mutual‘s insurance products that may be affected by the coronavirus include:
- Life Insurance Solutions. This is an investment to care for your loved ones, when you are no longer a part of them. The UAP Old Mutual life insurance (both corporate & individual) provides full cover for the coronavirus and will settle any claims resulting in any unfortunate death.
- Travel Insurance Solution. As this virus has now been declared a pandemic by WHO, this cover will not cover your medical expenses or trip cancellation in the event you contract the disease (Covid 19).
- Medical Insurance. The firm will provide coverage to insured customers within the designated facilities by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
AAR
AAR Insurance is one of the leading insurance companies in Kenya. In a Facebook chat with their customer representative, the company said:
Thank you for your enquiry. AAR Insurance is keen to ensure that you are safe during this period. We will support the government as it continues to offer treatment at government designated facilities like Kenyatta National Hospitals
Other Insurance Companies in Kenya
Other notable insurance companies in Kenya include:
Conclusion
Kenya’s government efforts to convince insurance companies in Kenya to cover for the coronavirus is commendable. It should be noted that medical insurance in Kenya is a loss-making segment due to price undercutting, fraud and high hospital bills. Medical insurers’ underwriting loss doubled to Sh1 billion in 2018.