NATIONAL NEWS - AfriForum on Tuesday 19 September asked for the controversial National Health Insurance Bill to be rejected in its entirety, saying that it would be to the detriment of healthcare provision in the country.
The civil rights organisation was one of the parties that submitted comments at a public hearing in George on the NHI Bill.
The bill is currently before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence after it was passed by the National Assembly in June this year. Public hearings in various towns in the Western Cape are being held until 29 September.
AfriForum based its objection to the bill on various factors, including that it is unrealistic. "The government does not have the financial resources to support the NHI scheme, as admitted by the Minister of Finances himself. Neither does the Department of Health possess over the necessary healthcare infrastructure," reads their submission.
The public hearing was held in the George Civic Centre's banqueting hall.
AfriForum's submission also stated that the bill will grant excessive powers to the Minister of Health; it will drive healthcare professionals out of the country, causing a brain drain; and it will infringe on a variety of constitutional rights, including the right to healthcare and the right to freedom of trade, occupation and profession.
The organisation also warned that the bill does not contain enough details on when and how the NHI will be implemented, what it will cost, and who will staff it. If implemented, it will place an unbearable burden on taxpayers.
AfriForum proposed, instead, a mix of public and private healthcare with a focus on deregulation to promote healthcare entrepreneurship and job creation, and community-based healthcare solutions rather than centralised decision-making.
The NHI Bill states that when the insurance scheme is fully implemented, medical schemes will not be able to provide cover for services that are paid for by the NHI. The NHI Fund will be funded from general taxes, contributions of persons earning above a set amount, and monthly contributions made by the employees to the fund.
Employers will have to ensure that their workers' contributions to the NHI fund are collected and submitted. The NHI will enter into contracts with private and public health service providers as well as private health practitioners for the provision of services.
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