Here is what you should know about the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill

President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to sign the National Health Insurance Bill into law in the next few weeks.

WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSIAL NATIONAL HEALTH BILL? 

Parliament approved the bill last year, but it has been sitting on his desk following objections against it.

According to the Parliament, the objective of the NHI Bill is to provide universal access to quality health care for all South Africans, as enshrined in the Constitution. 

The Parliament said 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 achieve the progressive realisation of these rights and no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.”

HOW WILL THE NATIONAL HEALTH BILL BENEFIT SOUTH AFRICANS? 

• The NHI fund will cover South Africans of all races, rich or poor, and legal long-term residents.
• There will be one pool of healthcare funding for private and public healthcare providers alike.
• We will reduce the cost of our healthcare system, currently the most expensive in the world.
• When people visit healthcare facilities, there will be no fees charged because the NHI fund will cover the costs of their medical care, similar to how medical aids cover their members’ expenses.
• NHI will narrow the gap between the rich and poor in terms of healthcare standards.

This will fund the National Health Insurance Bill

South Africans will no longer need to directly contribute to a medical health scheme to access quality health care. The NHI Fund will receive funding from:

• General taxes,
• Contributions of persons earning above a set amount, and
• Monthly contributions made by the employees to the fund.

Political parties and other stakeholders have urged the president to refer the bill back to parliament because it was flawed.