Cape Town — Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, said it was unlikely the National Health Insurance (NHI) would be implemented within the next five years.
The Minister told parliament that that it was unrealistic and impractical for the NHI to be fully implemented and revealed that it would take up to two years, alone, to set up the NHI fund as a public entity, EWN reported.
Motsoaledi responded to ActionSA’s Alan Beesley on the cost and funding of the NHU, and he said no additional funding was needed at the time as preparatory activities are being funded using the existing health budget. The NHI Act has not been promulgated yet and the regulations will give impetus to its implementation but have not yet been released.
Over the next three years, the government is spending almost R900 billion on health services, but Motsoaledi is not yet putting a price tag on the cost of the NHI’s implementation.
He said progress will be determined by the country’s fiscal situation and there’s still much work that needs to be done on developing the purchasing mechanism for the fund.
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“What is more likely is the redirection of existing funds such as conditional grants and a gradual slow increase in funding, depending on national affordability. Complex systems and mechanisms would first need to be developed within the fund to ensure a smooth transition, which will likely take several years,” said Motsoaledi.
According to The Citizen, Motsoaledi revealed the government’s stance on undocumented foreign nationals receiving free healthcare. He said free healthcare would be available to foreign nationals, depending on the “circumstances of the person.”
“If it can be proven that the person came specifically for healthcare services, then the government is entitled to charge such a person,” he said.
He previously said that provincial health departments would be required to treat all patients at public healthcare facilities, but said the issue of public healthcare facilities being overwhelmed by foreign nationals was beyond his department.
“It is not a matter that the health departments can address alone,” Motsoaledi said.
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Motsoaledi further indicated that the NHI fund will cover the costs for any person treated within the national health system, as stipulated in Section 4 of the NHI Act.
However, when asked who would contribute to the NHI fund on behalf of undocumented foreign nationals, the minister referred to the budgetary process. The minister could not provide specific costs incurred by the Department of Health for free healthcare services offered to the specified undocumented foreign nationals.
“Maternal, newborn, and child health services are provided as part of comprehensive primary healthcare and hospital services. As a result, information on resource requirements for and expenditure on these services is not available,” Motsoaledi said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
