South Africa To Push Ahead With Health Reforms

South Africa is moving forward with the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, despite strong opposition from the government.

“We have highlighted the social and economic value of affordable, accessible, quality health care that is available equally to all South Africans,” Ramaphosa said in a speech on Tuesday evening, at the closing of an ANC policy meeting.

NHI Bill

NHI Bill aims to provide universal access to better health care services to residents of the Nation. The Constitution recognizes healthcare as a fundamental human right.

It states that “everyone has the right to have access to health care services the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to reach maximum no of these rights and no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.”

Bill can provide universal coverage through a major overhaul of South Africa’s two-tier system. This bill was approved by Ramaphosa just before the May election in which his African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority.

Policy Highlights

“We will therefore proceed with the implementation of the National Health Insurance.” Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the section of the bill which outlines transitional mechanisms would be implemented “immediately”.This includes setting up advisory committees and amending other health-related laws to be in line with the NHI.

Why This Bill Is Controversial

The legislation will gradually limit the role of private insurance in South Africa, create a new public fund to provide free access for citizens, and set the fees and prices that private healthcare suppliers can charge for NHI-funded benefits.

Supporters call it a generational change to reverse inequality dating to the apartheid era. But opponents said the proposed funding model won’t work.

Motsoaledi said he would listen to concerns from stakeholders and help people understand the NHI.”The real poor people who are (set to be) beneficiaries haven’t spoken,” he said. “Nobody’s carrying their voice.”

One opponent of the bill is the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) party, which formerly led the opposition and has now joined the ANC in government.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said last month that the NHI continued to be a sticking point for the coalition government and that discussions on it would continue.

Motsoaledi said the bill would be implemented in phases over the years and acknowledged that legal challenges could delay its roll-out.

(With inputs from Reuters)