President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday, 15 May 2024, sign into law the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The move may give the impression that government is ignoring business, expects in the healthcare profession and opposition parties who raised concern over the Bill, the long term effects on the private hospitals and medical schemes and citizens.
The Bill seeks to create universal access to healthcare for all citizens of South Africa, both for the rich and poor at both private and public hospitals. The business community has ventilated its frustration with the bill saying parts of it are not viable and practical; numerous clauses in the bill are unconstitutional.
Implemented in its current form, it will cost taxpayer a significant amount of money per month reducing their take-home salaries. Business argues that once fully implemented, the NHI will render medical schemes useless as everyone will have to affiliate with the NHI, which is a violation of people’s rights to purchase any healthcare product they wish to.
According to the Presidency, the Bill directs the transformation of the South Africa’s health care system to achieve universal coverage for health services and, through this, overcome critical socio-economic imbalances and inequities of the past.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will 2pm tomorrow sign the Bill into law.