The health department expects to release its first set of draft regulations for the National Health Insurance Act for public comment within the next month, a senior official says.
National Health Insurance (NHI) is the ANC’s plan for achieving universal health coverage and aims to scrap SA’s two-tier health system, which sees a wealthy minority able to afford medical scheme cover for private healthcare services, while the rest of the population relies on crowded and under-resourced public health facilities.
The act paves the way for the creation of a government-controlled NHI fund that will purchase health services from accredited public and private providers on behalf of eligible beneficiaries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the legislation on May 15, but the act has yet to be brought into effect as none of its sections have been promulgated…..more
