National health insurance

Stop NHI!

AfriForum has already written a letter to the president insisting that he refer the NHI Bill back to parliament, but we need further support to increase public pressure against NHI.

NHI will give the ANC the sole power and right over healthcare in the country. This means that your healthcare will be managed in the same way as all the other failed state-owned enterprises, such as Eskom, that taxes will be increased even further, and that the health system will collapse. Therefore, AfriForum is continuing to oppose this Bill in any way possible.

“Our primary concern is that NHI will probably degenerate into a very expensive failure which will not improve the accessibility or quality of health care for South Africans. NHI will also violate the constitutional rights of millions of South Africans by forcing them to rely on a health care plan that was doomed to fail from the start, and which prohibits the use of alternatives,” says Louis Boshoff, spokesperson for AfriForum. Do not allow the government to take control of your health.

AfriForum has already submitted commentary on the NHI Bill but wants to encourage members to submit individual commentary according to AfriForum’s defined points of view.  

The government is attempting to have National Health Insurance (NHI) accepted in parliament before 6 December 2022. NHI will give the ANC the sole right and all the power as far as health care in the country is concerned. This means that your health care will be managed in the same manner as all the other failed state-owned enterprises such as for example Eskom, that tax will be increased even further and that the health system will completely collapse. AfriForum has placed the government on terms that the organisation will take legal action if NHI is indeed put into force. Please support us in this.

A summary of AfriForum’s submission to the National Council of Provinces on the proposed National Health Insurance

AfriForum submitted written comment to the National Council of Provinces about the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. Several concerns were expressed in our comment, which ranges from the lack of transparency to the financial viability of the NHI. Here is a summary of AfriForum’s key concerns on the NHI:

  • There is a lack of details: AfriForum has stated before that there is not enough information on what the NHI will cost, how it will be funded and who will administrate it.
  • Its feasibility is questionable: AfriForum doubts that South Africa has the financial resources or public healthcare infrastructure to support the NHI.
  • It is politically motivated: AfriForum believes that the NHI proposal is more about politics than actually improving access to healthcare for the poorest and most vulnerable people.
  • It will lead to a further brain drain: AfriForum warns that the scheme could drive healthcare professionals out of the country.
  • It poses a myriad of bureaucratic challenges: AfriForum is concerned that the NHI would create a cumbersome, inefficient bureaucracy.
  • There is a lack of alternative systems: Instead of a government-controlled system, AfriForum proposesa mix of public and private healthcare that would be more effective, citing examples from other countries.
  • Economic growth should be a higher priority: AfriForum believes that the government should focus on economic growth and on improving the existing healthcare system before rolling out a programme such as the NHI.
  • There are constitutional infringements: The Bill and the scheme it represents infringe on a variety of constitutional rights, most importantly the right to healthcare, which is centred on the individual’s right to dignity and freedom of choice.
  • It is an expensive failure: AfriForum fears that the NHI could be a costly failure that doesn’t actually improve healthcare for South Africans.

What is National Health Insurance (NHI)?

The NHI is a central fund that the state wants to create, which will be executed by the various provincial health departments. The NHI-programme will be funded through additional tax revenue. The public can still belong to their own medical aid, but medical aids will only be able to cover healthcare treatment not provided by the NHI. The state will also make use of the services of private medical facilities and will exercise price control over medication and services. This effectively means that the state will be in control of the entire healthcare sector.

The Problem with National Health Insurance

AfriForum argues that the NHI is yet another unrealistic and socialistic state project that will limit and ultimately destroy the freedom of the public (as healthcare consumers), as well as the freedom of doctors and other healthcare practitioners (as the suppliers of healthcare). The NHI will destroy the private healthcare sector, and all service delivery will be lowered to the level of our current public healthcare sector. This will mean that everyone in the country will ultimately be subjected to poor state services due to affordability reasons.

AfriForum furthermore views the NHI as a direct attack on the middle class and on quality healthcare in South Africa. We also view this as a desperate attempt to compensate for the self-created mess in the public healthcare sector. There are also too few taxpayers in the country to fund the NHI, and the economy is growing too slowly to make the NHI sustainable. As a result of a shortage of healthcare practitioners, medicine and people to fund the NHI, healthcare will ultimately be more expensive for everyone. The implementation of the NHI will further cause a previously unseen exodus of skilled healthcare professionals. In June 2021, the South African Medical Association warned that as many as 38% of its 12 000 members planned to emigrate if the NHI were to be implemented. In addition to this, a further 6% planned to emigrate for other reasons and a further 17% said they were unsure about leaving the country if NHI were to be implemented.

The damning findings of the Zondo Commission in which widespread state capture was exposed should serve as enough of a deterrent to not monopolise yet another sector. It should be noted, however, that the NHI will be managed on a much larger scale than other state-owned enterprises, opening the door for even greater failure and financial losses. As such, despite the government’s usual empty promises, there is absolutely no guarantee that the NHI will not go the same way as other state-owned enterprises. With this considered, the NHI amounts to nothing but irresponsible gambling with the health sector, and therefore with millions of South Africans’ lives.

Videos:

Dr. Eugene Brink

Monique Taute

Natasha Venter’s interview on ENCA

NHI Part 1: Potential economic disaster for South Africa | Mike Schüssler

NHI Part 2: To spend more money on the problem is not a solution | Mike Schüssler

NHI Part 3: Health care capacity limitations | Mike Schüssler

NHI Part 4: Focus on repairing the current system first | Mike Schüssler

Forum Nuus: AfriForum dien kommentaar by die parlementsgebou in

Blogs and articles:

AfriForum gereed om kommentaar op destruktiewe wetsontwerp oor NGV in te dien

Nasionale Gesondheidsversekeringskema sal jou gesondheid in anc-hande laat

Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering geen utopia vir Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidstelsel

NGV – die hoeksteen van privaat gesondheid se ondergang

Nasionale Gesondheidsverskering gaan die goue eiers vat tot die ganse wegvlieg

Dié is die ‘gevaarlikste’ staatshospitaal in Gauteng

Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering ‘sal voortgaan’

AfriForum on NHI: Government is responsible for sick healthcare system

Public hearings

There is now an opportunity to make oral comments on the NHI Draft Bill. Public hearings will take place as follows:

Nelson Mandela Metro and Sarah Baartman

DateTimeTownVenue
Tuesday 10 October10:00Graaff-ReinetAlex Laing hall
Wednesday 11 October10:00KougaNewton hall
Thursday 12 October10:00KariegaBabs Madlakana
Friday 13 October10:00GqeberhaNangoza Jebe

Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani

DateTimeTownVenue
Tuesday 10 October10:00ElundiniIliso Lomzi community hall
Wednesday 11 October10:00Walter SisuluBurgersdorp town hall
Thursday 12 October10:00AB Xuma Local MunicipalityNgcobo town hall
Friday 13 October10:00Chris Hani District MunicipalityIndoor sport centre – Side hall

Alfred Nzo and OR Tambo

DateTimeTownVenue
Tuesday 10 October10:00MatatieleHarry Park community hall
Wednesday 11 October10:00Mt AyliffAlfred Nzo District Municipality’s conference centre  
Thursday 12 October10:00LusikisikiSt Elizabeth health resource centre
Friday 13 October10:00MthathaMthatha town hall

Amathole and Buffalo City Metro

DateTimeTownVenue
Tuesday 10 October10:00MbhasheButterworth town hall
Wednesday 11 October10:00Raymond MhlabaFurther details of the exact venue will follow
Thursday 12 October10:00East LondonCambridge hall
Friday 13 October10:00King William’s TownKing William’s Town hall

West Rand Region

DateTimeTownVenue
Tuesday, 24 October 202310:00–13:00KrugersdorpMogale City centenary hall

Tshwane

DateTimeTownVenue
Friday 20 October10:00–13:00CenturionLaudium civic centre

Northern Cape

DateTimeTownVenue
Wednesday 18 October11:00KurumanBendel community hall
Wednesday 18 October11:00SpringbokOkiep community hall
Thursday 19 October11:00UpingtonThembelihle service centre Paballelo
Thursday 19 October11:00De AarDe Aar East community hall

North West

DateTimeTownVenue
Thursday 19 October10:00RustenburgBojanala Rustenburg city hall
Thursday 19 October10:00MahikengNgaka Modiri Molema Embassy hall
Thursday 19 October10:00PotchefstroomDr Kenneth Kaunda Banquet hall
Thursday 19 October10:00VryburgDr RS Mompati Kismet community hall

Raise your voice against this harmful bill and protect the health freedom of millions of citizens!