South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) implementation continues to flounder, as the National Treasury notes its expenditure will not be a significant cost in the medium term. This scheme, which seeks to address the country’s huge gulf in healthcare inequality, has still made barely any progress since its inception over a decade ago.
In its Medium Term Budget Policy Statement published on Thursday (MTBPS), the Treasury said that the national health insurance policy was estimated to cost R40 billion per year in additional funding in the first five years, and perhaps considerably more over time. Therefore, it dismissed the possibility of any substantial work on it, saying that presently, “there is insufficient capacity in the health sector to work substantively on national health insurance. The national health insurance indirect grant has been underspent, the National Health Insurance Fund has not yet been established, and the National Health Insurance Bill still needs to be passed by Parliament.
“It is therefore unlikely that national health insurance will be a significant cost pressure in the medium term,” it said.
While the Department of Health has time and again reiterated its commitment to the NHI system, several studies highlight the system’s deep unpopularity among healthcare professionals.
“To fund this, we need taxpayers,” said senior researcher Morné Malan at Solidarity Research Institute, when former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize tabled the NHI Bill in Parliament in August 2019.
“To be a taxpayer you must be employed… only 12% of South Africans pay tax.”
In August 2021, trade union Solidarity published a report drawing on three surveys from 2018 to 2021, with 20.8% of respondents already preparing to leave.
Across the studies, the overarching response from healthcare professionals is one of uncertainty and mistrust around the NHI, with general sentiment towards the system being overwhelmingly negative.
“Almost all the respondents have serious concerns regarding the state’s ability to manage and administer the NHI,” Solidarity said. “The total administration and management of funds and decision-making will be in the hands of the state.
“Most are seriously concerned about the fact that the state can determine and enforce tariffs, place of work, type of diagnostic tests and type of medication and treatment.”
The opinions of those surveyed are likely shaped by the observed mismanagement and maladministration at state institutions such as Eskom, Solidarity noted. The NHI will be considerably larger and more complicated, and will have to manage and execute many contracts, it said.
Source: Businesstech
