Linda Mama is a basic healthcare package that targets expectant mothers who are otherwise unable to pay for healthcare services. Through this initiative, pregnant women and infants will have access to quality healthcare for six months after delivery at no charge.
What Is Linda Mama Cover?
Linda Mama cover is a publicly funded healthcare scheme launched by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in 2016.
The main aim of this initiative is to “achieve universal cases to maternal and child health services and contributes to the country’s progress towards UHC”. Expectant mothers can easily register for NHIF Linda Mama in several simple ways.
NHIF Linda Mama Registration
Pregnant mothers who want to benefit from this free maternity program need to ensure that they are properly registered for the program.
Failure to do so will result in them having to pay for their healthcare from their pockets.
Therefore, expectant mothers should register in advance to ensure that they receive the service without any problems or complications.
When properly registered, the mother and child will have access to quality healthcare for up to 6 months after birth.
What Are The Registration Requirements?
- Pregnant women of age 18 years and above will be registered using their national identification cards and Antenatal care records.
- Pregnant women under 18 years will be registered using their guardians’ national identification cards and Antenatal care record.
- Pregnant women without national identification cards or guardians will be registered using Antenatal care records.
How Do I Register For The Linda Mama Program?
All pregnant women who are Kenyan Citizens are eligible for the Free Maternal Services through this cover. It is easy to register for the program, and it can be done through several options such as:
- Mobile Phone
- NHIF Registration Portal
- Contracted Health Care Providers
- NHIF Service Centres
- Huduma Centres Countrywide
How To Register Through Mobile Phone.
The simplest way to register for Linda Mama is on your mobile phone. All you have to do is:
- Dial *263# and pick the language that you would like to proceed with.
- Select NHIF Registration from the pop-up menu that appears.
- The next pop-up menu will have two options
1. National, or
2. Free maternity.
Once you select Free maternity, another pop-up menu will appear with the following options:
1. Kenyan ID
2. Antenatal Card
3. Passport
4. Alien Card.
At this stage, you need to choose your identity type to complete your registration process.
On completion of successful registration, a membership card will be issued. You will have to visit an NHIF branch to collect it.
How To Register Via The NHIF Registration Portal
The process is equally easy and straightforward. It involves the following steps.
- Go to NHIF registration portal.
- Click Self Employed, Employed or Employer.
- Enter your National ID/Passport/Alien ID.
- Fill in all other form fields.
- Attach a scanned copy of your ID or passport.
- Attach passport size photo.
- If married, attach your spouse’s marriage certificate.
- Click to Confirm.
The other ways involve visiting contracted Health care providers, NHIF service centres or Huduma centres. While at these centres, you will be directed on how to register.
Once you are registered, you can claim the cover by:
- Presentation of FMS number assigned on registration.
- Presentation of client’s national identification/ guardian’s national identification.
- Confirmation of pregnancy, including gestation stage.
- Presentation of FMS number assigned on registration.
How Does Linda Mama Card Look Like?
The card has the name of the beneficiary, her identification card and Linda Mama cover number, designated hospital name and code, plus registration and expiry date.
What You Stand To Gain From The NHIF Linda Mama Initiative.
There are numerous benefits to signing up for this service. For starters, expectant mothers receive a comprehensive healthcare package that will ensure that they receive quality healthcare at any stage of their pregnancy. This service has an impressive package for every stage of pregnancy. They include:
Ante-natal Care
The Linda Mama initiative offers a comprehensive ante-natal care package. This package comes with various services, such as preventing transmission of HIV from HIV-positive mothers to their unborn baby. Mothers who test HIV positive will receive ARVs as required.
In addition to this, expectant mothers will receive a range of healthcare services that include preventive services, including tetanus vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, and the basic antenatal profile for healthcare. They will also receive free deworming, iron and folate pills to maintain the required iron levels.
Post-natal Care
This package extends from the time the placenta is expelled up to six weeks after delivery. This package also comes with four personalized visits and assessments after birth. For the newborn baby, this package is inclusive of timely immunizations and a Vitamin A supplement. For the mother, this package comes with various check-ups to monitor her post-natal progress.
Linda Mama also comes with a long list of available benefits to the mother and the newborn baby for a year. These benefits include:
- Antenatal Care Package Antenatal profile
- Conditions and complications during pregnancy
- Skilled delivery.
- Neo-natal care.
- Post-natal Care
- Outpatient services
- Inpatient services.
- Care for infant outpatient services.
The fact that the Linda Mama charges are nil (service is free after registration) makes it even better. It is, however, advisable to also get an NHIF cover if you can afford it.
Does Linda Mama Cover Cesarean?
Yes. In 2017, the NHIF paid Sh5.5 million for the surgical procedure before the figure shot up to Sh 486 million the following year. However, the amount was just a fraction of the more than Sh 4 billion paid for maternity-related services.
Can Linda Mama Be Used In Any Hospital?
The answer is no. The cover can only be used in all public and some private hospitals. Fortunately, there are numerous Linda Mama hospitals in the country.
Most of the hospitals that NHIF accredits offer free maternal healthcare under the programme. The hospitals are adequately equipped to provide quality healthcare for expectant women. After the service, the patient has to fill the NHIF Linda Mama claim form. The form confirms that a member received a particular service for which NHIF will compensate the hospital.
NHIF Linda Mama programme is making strides towards improving access to quality healthcare for expectant mothers and their newborns. It is also aimed at providing social protection to all Kenyans.
To make this possible, NHIF has an expanded network and collaborates with public and private facilities.