NHI BILL UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

With rumours doing the rounds that there are plans to fast-track it, the National Health Insurance Bill has been brought under the spotlight again.

The controversial legislature has attracted criticism from various opposition parties.

During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Of The Nation Address (SONA) last week, he made it clear that it’s only a matter of time before the Bill will appear before him for sign-off.

During his SONA, Ramaphosa explained that the Bill would be implemented incrementally. The aim of this is to deal with issues like health system financing and the health workforce.

According to the Bill, it aims to provide equal health services to all South Africans, giving patients universal access to private facilities at state cost.

Medical aids have also shared their concerns about the Bill with the government ignoring most of it. The Bill has been fast-tracked even though it has been faced with wide criticism.

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