THE National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill might have been signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, but there is still a long way to go before employees will reap the benefits thereof, or feel the impact.
Martlé Keyter, Chief Executive Officer: Operations of the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), said the union is disappointed that there is still no clear indication on how South Africans will benefit, and how the NHI will be funded more than a decade after the first announcements of the dream to achieve universal access to quality health care services for all.
“According to the Bill, an NHI Fund must now be established with a Board. It is said that it is likely to take more than a year because of the processes that need to be followed.
“Pending the establishment of the Fund, there seems to be no certainty as to who will be taxed, and how it will be funded to ensure that all individuals have access to necessary medical care.”
On the other hand, medical aids like Discovery and Profmed announced that they will challenge the NHI in its current form, because of the belief that it is unconstitutional. They however remain committed to a workable and amended NHI.
Keyter says just taking into account that 15 years ago the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) was signed in 1998, with the Constitutional Court only having made a ruling on the constitutionally last year; this is not good news, irrespective of whether you are for or against the NHI.
“South Africa is the most unequal country in the world. In the first quarter of 2024 the country’s unemployment rate rose to 32.9 percent.
“According to statistics, nearly 19 million South Africans rely on social grants to make ends meet.
“We need workable solutions to the challenges faced in our country,” said Keyter.
