A TOUCH OF CARE & A TOUCH OF LOVE: NHI
BILL BROUGHT TO YOU BY ANC GOV
The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act has
come into law by the official ink put on paper by the nation’s president, Cyril
Ramaphosa on the 15th of May, 2024.
Revolutionary healthcare reform aimed at
transforming the landscape of healthcare in South Africa. At its core, NHI
seeks to provide universal access to quality healthcare, regardless of
socio-economic status or financial means.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT DOES NHI HAS FOR YOU?
Germiston News has unpacked some basic
information about NHI, and we explain it to you in non medical terms to give
you an opportunity to understand what does it entail and how can you benefit
from it as well the pros and cons of NHI BILL.
UNDERSTANDING NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE.
NHI
will have enough money to cover the costs of your medical care whether on
public or private hospital. It is
exactly what medical aids companies do are doing but with two notable
differences.
10
REASONS WHY NHI IS GOOD FOR MZANSI?
1. Our government health budget keeps on increasing and our network
of public hospitals and clinics have grown but still, there are communities in
rural areas that cannot easily obtain care.
2. Many residents in our major cities rely on overcrowded public
health facilities with very few health professionals and poor equipment.
3. The amount spent on the
health care for each person with a medical aid scheme is five times the amount
that is spent on each person who relies entirely on public health
facilities.
4. The standard of health care gap between the rich and poor
continues widening, which is against the equality policy the country is driving
in other sectors.
5. While eight out of 10 patients use public clinics and hospitals
the bulk of the country’s doctors, dentists and specialists work in the private
healthcare sector serving a small section of the population living the biggest
population in public hospital is unattended.
6. The two-tier system of paying for healthcare has failed to
guarantee good quality healthcare for all. Government pays for the health
facilities that assist the poor and it also provide tax subsidies for medical
scheme contributions used by the wealthier families, who use private doctors
and hospitals. This system has locked out the poor who cannot afford a large
number of health professionals and facilities in the private sector.
7. Every citizen deserves better value from our healthcare spending.
Even for South Africans who earn a good income, healthcare has become a burden
because private medical costs have skyrocketed in recent years. Working people
are spending a large chunk of their salaries on medical aid and this often
causes financial constraints in their household income.
8. NHI will reduce the cost of private healthcare. It will still
provide a good income for health professionals and health institutions in the
private sector, but will use a more cost- effective method of payment than that
currently used by medical aid schemes.
9. The quality of care in
public hospital is continuously deteriorating in the areas of staff attitudes,
waiting times, cleanliness, drug stocks out, infection control and safety and
security of staff and patients. This may also be largely attributed to the high
burden of disease and increased patient loads without increased staff.
10. Increased out of pocket
payments are draining the disposable income of many South Africans.
CAN
I VISIT ANY PRIVATE HOSPITAL WHENEVER I WANT TO?
NHI
will enter into contracts with private and public hospitals, as well as private
health practitioners and public clinic, to provide services.
You
as a patient will be able to choose any NHI-contracted provider near to you for
all regular health needs without paying a cent from your pockets.
WILL
WORKING CLASS PAY MORE TAXES?
There
is no official proclamation of tax increase in South Africa yet however for NHI
to work the government will need more fund for NHI. As stipulated on the bill
the fund of NHI comes from General Taxes and employees’ contributions and other
revenue as mentioned on the bill.
Most
businesses on the private sector are foreseeing a tax increase in the nearest
future to make NHI work effectively.
South
Africans will soldier on when that time comes, for now we wait and see.
WHAT
ARE THE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF NHI in SOUTH AFRICA?
According
to Dr Larisse Prinsen from University of Free State, She mentioned the
following points:
- A blow to autonomy as all South
Africans will be forced to make use of NHI, regardless of whether they
want to or not;
- The healthy paying for the sick and
increased burdens on taxpayers;
- Uncertainty and vagueness
surrounding the financial aspects of the NHI;
- A decrease in financial incentives
to be and to remain healthy;
- Unemployment could rise as those
previously employed by medical aid schemes may be retrenched due to whole
departments of these enterprises becoming redundant;
- Medical practitioners will seek
greener pastures and more financially lucrative employment overseas
leaving South Africa with a human resource deficit in context of
healthcare;
- Long waiting times for elective
procedures as the primary focus of the NHI will be directed towards basic
and emergency healthcare;
- There may be fewer health-care
facilities and providers due to an uncertain system of accreditation;
- A decrease in the quality of care
provided;
- Uncertainty regarding what will in
fact be covered by the NHI and what will not;
- The NHI may be seen to be political
pandering rather than a real-life workable and practical system;
- NHI necessitates confidence by the
people in a system under governmental control; and
- The (very real) potential for
corruption and misappropriation of funds.
