Annisa Essack | kzn@radioislam.org.za
13^th June 2023 | 17:00 CAT
2 min read

Photo Credit: Spotlight

The Health Portfolio Committee approved the Proposed National Health Insurance Bill on May 25^th, but there is grave concern. Experts believe it is an unworkable and unaffordable scheme but predict it will be adopted despite misgivings. The Bill will be debated and voted on in the National Assembly today. The main concern is that the NHI scheme if adopted, would transplant the problems that characterise the public healthcare system to the private sector. Professor Frikkie Booysen, the Chair in Health Economics at WITS, with strong views on the NHI, joined Radio Islam International to discuss the Bill.

According to Booysen, the Bill will end the current medical aid system. Instead, there will be Complimentary Coverage for those services not covered by the Fund. This means all South Africans will have free access to private and public through a referral network.

For those unable to afford private health care, their contributions will be subsidised by Government and cross subsidisation.

Medical professionals, hospitals, and other auxiliary services must accept patients through the referral system. If the referral network is not adhered to, the patient will have to foot the bill themselves.

Concerns, however, have been raised as the referral network and reimbursement system have not been clarified.

Booysen says that the primary concern is the implementation, but citizens must research the system further.

The government will not manage private facilities; instead, they will have credit facilities to provide services to the Fund. The challenge will come if an influx of patients into private facilities may bring long waiting times and queues at private facilities.

With much of the Bill up in the air, opposition and civil society organisations are against it, with many seeing it bring a brain drain for the country.

Listen to the full interview with Sulaimaan Ravat on Sabahul Muslim here.