Parliament passes controversial National Health Insurance Bill

The National Assembly has passed the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, paving the way for “universal healthcare” in South Africa.

According to a report by News24 a total of 205 MPs in the parliament voted in favour of the NHI Bill, while 125 voted against it.

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WHAT IS THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BILL?

What is the NHI Bill, and how will NHI 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.
• The cost of our healthcare system, which is currently the most expensive in the world, will be reduced.
• When people visit healthcare facilities, there will be no fees charged because the NHI fund will cover the costs of people’s medical care in the same way that medical aids do for their members.
• NHI will narrow the gap between the rich and poor in terms of standards of healthcare.

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HOW THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BILL WILL BE FUNDED

South Africans will no longer be required to contribute directly to a medical health scheme to get quality health care.

The NHI Fund will be funded from:

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

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Now that it has been passed, the NHI Bill must be processed by the National Council of Provinces.

This will involve provincial public hearings.

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