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South Africa inching towards universal health care
There were two “preconditions” for making the NHI work in South Africa, namely an overhaul to create a quality health care system, and strict regulation of the sector to make it more affordable to all South Africans.
“When we say we want to regulate pricing, it does not mean we are unfair to the private sector,” Motsoaledi said. “What we saying is that you can’t discriminate against people based on price just because the public health system is so poor.”
In the interim, general taxes will remain the primary financing of NHI projects, while new funding resources will be explored over the long term depending on the progress of institutional reforms and health delivery capacity.
Preliminary modelling suggests that full implementation of the system may be realized by 2025, but this will require financing to rise from 4 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
A discussion paper on revenue options and associated transitional issues, including the role of medical schemes, will be released later this year.
Source: BuaNews
