If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’d have seen the recent discussions around Nation Health Insurance (NHI).
The NHI Bill, tabled last week in Parliament, aims to provide a package of services for free at private and public facilities to provide equitable access to quality health care.
This bill aims to address the massive structural inequalities in the health-care system and aims to improve the quality of life of all citizens and to free the potential of each person.
Although the bill hasn’t been signed into law, it could be fully implemented by 2026 and would change the landscape of the health-care system in South Africa forever.
Medical aid, as we know it, could possibly disappear or would have to change the structure greatly to exist.
Although there is great promise for the NHI, as a country, we simply cannot afford it.
As things stand, the NHI is set to be one of the most expensive projects the country has ever undertaken.
The original NHI white paper estimated it would cost around R256-billion a year; however, former Health Minister Aaron Motsoaeldi admitted this was an estimate that was thumb-sucked by a local firm.
Current funding proposals for the NHI largely seem to include increasing our taxes.
There would be an increase in personal income tax, employer tax and possibly doubling our VAT.
Medical scheme tax credits that are currently still being paid to medical aid members would also go towards funding the NHI instead.
Now I’m not sure how you feel about all this, but I know I don’t trust the government with our money.
Look at the mess that is Eskom, Transnet and other state-owned entities.
They have been the personal wallet of many corrupt politicians and president(s).
Why would we, as the long-suffering public, want to literally place our lives in their hands?
The NHI pilot project results were disappointing and were described by analysts as having mixed results.
Yet, despite this, the government is still raring to go.
The government is also ignoring the potential job losses that could come with the NHI.
The Hospital Association of SA (Hasa), which represents the private hospital sector, said in February that the NHI could lead to the loss of up to 132 000 jobs.
The three JSE-listed hospitals (Netcare, Mediclinic and Life Healthcare), which make up about two thirds of the sector, contribute about R55.5-b to the GDP a year.
In an economy as depressed as ours, can we really afford that kind of loss?
I don’t think so.
To be honest, I really just think this is just another way for our leaders with sticky fingers to get their hands on our money.
To date, there is nothing they have done that could convince me they can handle that much money or a project of this magnitude.
Already our doctors are stretched so thin you can see through them, the NHI could just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
However, I would love to be proven wrong.
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