M-TIBA rolls out with a bonus scheme to reward the first 100,000 users

The national roll out of M-TIBA is underway and to encourage healthcare savings, the Pfizer Foundation is funding the first M-TIBA bonus scheme. This sees the first 100,000 users – who register and deposit Kshs. 100, or more, per month – receiving a monthly bonus amount of Kshs. 50 for up to 12 months.

M-TIBA is a mobile health wallet developed by CarePay, PharmAccess and Safaricom that allows users to send, save and receive funds to access healthcare services using their mobile phones.

UAP Old Mutual Health Insurance is also offering the first 100, 000 users a 12 months personal accident cover for the principal member and one spouse, up to the value of Kshs. 8,000.

Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom says: “For many Kenyans a trip to the clinic can create real financial strain. And it can have a knock-on effect in people holding down jobs, or having to sell their belongings to pay for basic care. M-TIBA can extend and transform essential services for millions of Kenyans. This is just the start of what we can do together to transform Kenya’s healthcare sector.”

In September 2016, CarePay and Safaricom activated the option to ‘send money’ to M-TIBA. This enables people to send healthcare funds from their own M-PESA accounts to the M-TIBA accounts of others, such as household staff or relatives.

Kees van Lede says, “M-TIBA allows individuals and organizations to distribute funds for healthcare to people who rely on them. They can be sure that those funds will be used for healthcare only. And they know that their dependents are being treated at clinics that charge fair prices and follow internationally recognized quality standards.”

45,000 people now registered and 60 healthcare providers in Nairobi now operational with the first outlets in Kisumu, Siaya and Mombasa have been signed up the past week.

Funds on M-TIBA can only be used at selected healthcare providers, who form part of the M-TIBA network. PharmAccess works with these clinics and hospitals to improve standards and business management. And they sign up to internationally recognized ‘SafeCare’ standards, which aim to ensure better quality and patient safety.

Millicent Olulo, Country Director PharmAccess Foundation says, “To truly improve healthcare inclusion, we need to help customers save and pay for healthcare. At the same time we must help improve standards and services in those clinics and hospitals that display the M-TIBA sign.”

In the coming months, we will see some steps being taken like the international remittance for anyone in the diaspora to be able to pay directly to another person’s account. The other step is to have an insurance option it can actually be an insurable product where you pay a specific premium then you get the whole package.

Users can be registered on M-TIBA through an M-TIBA agent, or self-register by dialing *253# on their mobile phones.