Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says stakeholders in the health sector must anticipate major amendments to the medical schemes Act and others. This is after cabinet’s approval of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.
Motsoaledi was speaking at the opening of the 19th annual Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa Conference at Sun City in North West.
Hundreds of health-care professionals and funders gathered under one roof to discuss among others the universal health coverage NHI in the wake of the bill being approved by cabinet.
In his keynote address Health Minister Motsoaledi remained tight lipped about the details of the amendments to the medical schemes Act and others, but promised major changes to be announced in the coming week.
“This universal health coverage or NHI as we call it in South Africa is going to need massive reorganisation of the health system in both public and private and so the laws that are governing health today will all have to be amended and changed. Nothing is going to stay the way it is now otherwise we won’t be able to run universal health coverage.”
With only 8.9 million of the country’s 56 million people on medical aid, industry players at this conference have next 3 days to share ideas and come with opportunities that will widen the space for universal health care in Southern Africa.
While there has been criticisms that the NHI will destroy the private health care sector Dr Ali Hamdulay of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) says they will embrace the NHI.
“Our premise is that we make sure that we are part of the discussions the collaboration with the Department of Health, with the task team that has been set-up to design NHI and in so doing we are taking the path and walking the journey with the Minister and the team so that we ensure that all the requirements of the current medical scheme environments are catered for,” says Hamdulay.
The conference will use the next three days to discuss among others the rising burden of diseases and rising medical costs.
