Responses By Kenyan Managed Healthcare Organizations To The Challenges Posed By HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Abstract

The study looked into the responses by Kenyan Managed Healthcare organizations to the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Specifically, the study attempted to identify the challenges the HIV /AIDS pandemic has presented to Kenyan Managed Healthcare Organizations and the strategies these organizations have developed to respond. to these challenges. A cross sectional census survey of Kenyan Managed Healthcare organizations was conducted. The population of interest was the eleven Managed Healthcare Organizations that were awaiting registration by the Commissioner of Insurance. The data was collected using a structured survey questionnaire that was personally administered to the CEO's IMD' s as well as various departmental heads of each of the Managed Healthcare Organizations. Two organizations were found to have recently ceased operations in Kenya hence nine organizations were operational. Only six responded to the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics like proportions and mean scores. The study revealed that the main business challenges HIV /AIDS pandemic presented to managed healthcare organizations included the high cost of treatment of HIV and related conditions, pressure to offer more services to HIV positive people and tendency of doctors to treat HIV related conditions within the context of plans in which HIV is excluded. The main strategy employed by the managed healthcare organizations was the exclusion of HIV related treatment. The extent of application of this strategy is however different. The high cost of treating and managing HIV/AIDS related ailments was singled out as the major reason for excluding HIV related ailments. The challenge of the high cost of treatment of HIV has implications 011 the recommendations of the study. Managed Healthcare Organizations would need to continue excluding HIV/AIDS related treatment while offering medical plans to companies with limited budgets. However added benefits could be offered to these patients. Efforts must however be made to convince companies to extend their medical budgets in order to take on medical plans that would cover HIV/AIDS related treatment as this had great benefits.