How does the National Health Insurance Bill benefit South Africans?

The National Assembly passed the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill on Tuesday. But how will this benefit South Africans?

HERE IS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIAL NATIONAL HEALTH BILL

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.

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The Parliament 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.”

It furthermore said the Constitution recognizes healthcare as a fundamental human right.

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.
• 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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What is the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill Photo: Stock/Canva

THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BILL WILL BE FUNDED BY THIS:

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.

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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