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National health insurance

National health insurance Quick guide: NHI and the law-making progress Reports Donations

National health insurance

What is national health insurance?

What national health insurance (NHI) comes to, is that current medical schemes are to be replaced by a single, state-managed National Health Insurance Fund that will be financed with tax money.

Where does NHI currently stand?

The National Health Insurance Act 20 of 2023 was ratified by the President on 15 May 2024, but it is yet to be implemented. The date for implementation has not yet been announced. The Act provides that NHI is to be implemented in phases from the date of implementation, but the terms and time frames have not yet been fixed.

It will require significant tax increases to implement.
It will prohibit medical schemes from financing the same services funded by the NHI Fund.
Private doctors and clinics will have to provide free services at the point of delivery and will therefore be dependent on reimbursement by the NHI Fund.
Patients will not be able to decide themselves to go to specialists but will have to be referred to one by the primary carer.
Patients will not be able to go to their facility of choice, but will have to obtain the required services from the (nearest) facilitate where they are registered.

Why AfriForum is against NHI:

AfriForum believes in the right and responsibility of people, families and communities to make their own decisions on their healthcare. This freedom may not be taken away by the government.
The NHI Act has various sections that contravene the Constitution and the principles of international law.
AfriForum foresees large-scale corruption may be possible in any attempt to implement NHI.
The implementation of NHI will probably result in an outflow of medical experts to other countries.
There are better ways to improve access to healthcare in South Africa.

What will AfriForum do to stop NHI?

AfriForum will sue the Minister of Health and the government for the damages that NHI causes to the quality of life of South Africans. To this effect, AfriForum will call on expert witnesses to point out how NHI does not achieve the set aims.
Before such a summons can happen, AfriForum will support the current court applications to set the NHI Act aside.
AfriForum helps to maintain public pressure against the implementation of the NHI.