Legal experts at law firm Webber Wentzel say the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill has left many questions and mounting worries over what will happen to the medical insurance industry once it has been implemented.
BusinessTech reports that while the NHI Bill gives a cursory explanation for what will happen to medical aid schemes – specifically that they will only be able to cover services not covered by the NHI – the legal experts said the private medical insurance industry is far more nuanced, and has been left in the lurch.
The group said Clause 33 of the Bill states that once NHI is fully implemented, medical schemes can only offer complementary coverage for services not reimbursed by the NHI. And Clause 6(o) allows individuals to purchase services not covered by the NHI through voluntary medical insurance schemes.
“This means medical schemes cannot cover services already covered by the NHI, potentially jeopardising their existence. This approach may face constitutional challenges related to the right to access healthcare, property rights of medical schemes, and freedom of trade and profession,” the group said.
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