The Social Health Authority (SHA) has given health service providers until September 30, 2026, to complete new deals to avoid being denied access to the system or preventing them from serving beneficiaries of the scheme. SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi said contracts with health care providers currently in force shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30.

“Social Health Authority hereby informs all Healthcare providers/healthcare facilities that current provider contracts will expire on 30th September 2026 at 23:59 hours,” Mwangangi said in a communiqué sent on Monday.

Those wishing to continue to offer services to SHA beneficiaries have been requested to apply for new contracts and conclude the process by 01 October 2026.

“Providers wishing to continue offering services to SHA beneficiaries are therefore requested to apply for a new contract and finalize the contracting process before 01 October 2026,” she said.

SHA warned that an application will not be sufficient for continuation of services. Facilities will be required to have an executed contract for the 2026-2029 cycle for them to continue to offer services to SHA beneficiaries.

“Providers without executed contract for the 2026-2029 cycle will not be allowed to offer services after that date and their access from SHA provider portal will be turned off,” warned Mwangangi.

The warning comes as the agency finalizes preparations for a new three-year contracting cycle running from October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029. As of September 27, SHA had 7,244 healthcare facilities that had submitted expressions of interest for the new cycle. However, the new process, ‘expression of interest’, does not constitute a contract. The new health sector contracts regime – HAKIKA was launched by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on September 18 against the backdrop of SHA’s E-contracting platform.

“There is a need for greater clarity on the terms of the benefits, reimbursement, quality and disputes adjudication, especially since the providers have had concerns about the tariffs, claims adjudication processing and payments, pre-authorization and system issues among other concerns,” said the Ministry of Health in a note sent to various stakeholders.

The E-Contracting Platform will enable providers to submit application, attach documents, verify licenses, finalize contracts and track progress of the application online. SHA said in its communiqué that it has taken care of the possible impact of the closure of existing contracts on patients who are receiving treatment at the facilities whose applications for new contracts have been declined. It implored such providers to make arrangements for the transfer of patients to other SHA accredited facilities to continue receiving the services.

“Providers who have not completed contracting should make arrangements to transfer patients receiving onward care to contracted providers to ensure continuity of treatment,” said SHA.

The authority requested urgent completion of the process by those with lingering requisites to prevent disruption of services. The new contracting round encompasses services payable from the Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund, Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund.

For the patients, this means the ability to access services funded by SHA after October 1 will depend on whether their chosen facilities have applied for and completed a new contract.SHA has therefore urged providers to check compliance with contractual obligations to avoid inconveniencing the patients by the denial of services they are entitled to.