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Minister says R66m ad-spend will counter ‘irrational’ NHI propaganda
Despite the dire state of public health facilities, and the chronic shortages of both staff and equipment – because of “budgetary” factors – and...
VAT hikes for NHI funding ‘socially unjust’ – SAMA
Recent government proposals of a 0.5% rise in VAT as a way to support the National Health Insurance (NHI) Fund have added to concerns...
Private sector ‘should not fear NHI’, say senior officials
The National Health Insurance (NHI) will be introduced in phases, with room for private sector collaboration to ensure improved healthcare access for all South...
NHI violates doctors' and patients' rights – SAMA constitutional challenge
The SA Medical Association (SAMA) has launched legal proceedings against the National Health Insurance Act, in what it says is the most significant constitutional challenge...
Motsoaledi urges ‘renewed action’ towards universal healthcare
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi yesterday called on G20 member states to “prioritise public health over competing interests”, with the goal of accelerating progress towards...
Minister under fire over first draft NHI regulations
Several stakeholders reacted with dismay to the publication of the first draft regulations for the National Health Insurance Act (NHI) last week, despite various...
Private hospitals take legal action against NHI Act
The Hospital Association of SA (Hasa) has asked the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) to declare the National Health Insurance Act unconstitutional and unlawful and...
Tax alone not enough to pay for NHI
The NHI Act says funding for healthcare for all should come from tax, but with economic growth stagnant, many South Africans being unemployed, and...
No budget for NHI without price tag – Finance Minister
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has thrown the ball into the Health Minister's court, saying if he wants money for the implementation of National Health...
New coalition awaits state response on reworked universal healthcare model
Government has so far failed to respond to proposals by the Universal Healthcare Access Coalition (UHAC) for healthcare reform before the National Health Insurance...
Minister rejects LCBO report, but punts policy shift
The long-awaited low-cost benefit option (LCBO) report has finally been publicly released by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), but has been immediately rejected...
Confusion over NHI 'compromise' agreement
President Cyril Ramphosa, in his State of the Nation address last week, failed to provide any details of a supposed compromise agreement on the...
Reprieve for medical aids with NHI 'breakthrough'?
The government of national unity (GNU) has apparently quietly reached an “agreement” on two key aspects relating to National Health Insurance (NHI) which, if...
Medical aids turn to court in long-running battle for low cost options
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) will go to court in efforts to legally compel the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to allow cheaper...
Hospitals group latest to launch NHI legal challenge
Another legal suit has been lodged against the National Health Insurance Act, with the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) becoming the latest group...
Will Cabinet lekgotla pave way for NHI compromise?
Whether or not the ANC and DA can find common ground on the future of medical schemes will be a major test for the...
ANC compromise on NHI not on the cards, says Motsoaledi
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says reports that the ANC was prepared to compromise on NHI and medical aid schemes were without basis, denying that...
No plans yet for NHI funding through taxes – Treasury
It will take years for the National Health Insurance (NHI) fund to be established, and even longer for the scheme to roll out services,...
Motsoaledi must come clean on NHI funding
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s statement that no other countries did costing estimations when planning their universal healthcare policies is false, according to Dr Karl...
NHI legal challenge 'discriminatory', Minister argues
Another major healthcare group has called for collaboration between the state and private sector, but, writes MedicalBrief, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is digging in...
Netcare calls for more public-private partnerships
As an alternative to NHI, a swifter solution for South Africa’s healthcare issues could potentially come from more collaboration between the private sector and...
Nearly 2 000 SA hospitals not ready for NHI
Most of the public healthcare facilities in the country – more than 60% – are not compliant with the necessary standards to be considered...
BHF’s legal challenge to NHI taken to ‘wrong court’, says Presidency
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s legal team has attacked the Board of Healthcare Funders’ (BHF) challenge to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act on technical grounds,...
ANC and DA Ministers in GNU Cabinet dust-up over NHI
Disagreement over the National Health Insurance (NHI) – coming hard on the heels of a third legal case launched against the Act this month...
NHI Act fails to address high medicines prices
The National Health Insurance Act does not deal with the systemic issues that cause high prices and inequity in medicine access, and government is...
Three possible future scenarios for NHI
The National Health Insurance will take decades to implement, government has said, but some experts wonder if the scheme will ever get off the...
Government plays for time on NHI court cases
Will government consider amendments to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act? As government lawyers seek more time to respond to two lawsuits against the...
Health Department dithering over HMI, says BHF
The National Department of Health has denied dragging its heels over plans to make the cost of healthcare more affordable, after the Board of...
Mamelodi Hospital meets NHI standards
The Gauteng Department of Health has declared Mamelodi Regional Hospital the first hospital in Gauteng to meet National Health Insurance (NHI) standards after a...
Discovery chief believes NHI solutions may be possible
Discovery Health says it is “cautiously optimistic” that the government and business can find solutions to the contentious NHI Bill, which plans to squeeze...
Business buoyed by Presidential NHI meeting, and request for proposals
There’s a hint of optimism among Business Unity SA (Busa) members after a Presidential meeting that was held on Tuesday, with the organisation saying...
Finding the common ground for NHI
There have been unanimous calls for the health needs of all South Africans to be seen as a priority, and for public sector and...
Motsoaledi slams NHI sceptics and scaremongers
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says private sector players are inflating the estimated cost of the NHI in attempts to “scare people off” the plan.
He...
HASA urges mandatory medical aid enrolment to reduce public load
The Hospital Association of SA (Hasa) has predicted a massive 50% rise in spending on people reliant on public healthcare, and called for the...
Class divisions inhibit honest conversations about the NHI
Class divisions in South Africa, particularly the perspectives held by the so-called middle class, have long posed barriers to honest conversations about the struggles...
First NHI draft regulations set for release
As the first draft regulations for the National Health Insurance Act are soon to be released for public comment, stakeholders who say their previous...
Health compact signed minus key stakeholders
Deputy President Paul Mashatile signed the Presidential health compact last week despite the boycott by various medical and business organisations, and without acknowledging the...
Motsoaledi stands firms on medical aids under the NHI
Once the NHI is fully rolled out, medical aids will only be allowed to cover top-up services for which it doesn’t pay, and this...
Politicising SA’s health through NHI
The NHI is becoming a tool for political and factional battles, potentially rendering productive, logical debate on its future – and on the urgency...
DA reconsiders NHI court challenge
The DA appears to be reconsidering its intention to challenge the NHI Bill in the Constitutional Court since its entry into the Government of National Unity (GNU), with...