Mandatory health insurance for SA is an ‘upgrade’ on NHI, proponents say

Mandatory health insurance for SA is an ‘upgrade’ on NHI, proponents say

The idea of mandatory medical scheme coverage for employed people has made a comeback after the case for it was made at a recent conference. Chris Bateman unpacks how a system with mandatory medical scheme membership for the employed might work and asked experts whether it represents a viable alternative to government’s NHI plans.

Read More

Opinion: What PPE graft means for NHI

Opinion: What PPE graft means for NHI

Even as the need for a more equitable health system is being demonstrated, news has broken of large-scale corruption in the procurement of PPE. This makes it difficult for a population worn down by corruption to envisage the transformation of the health system into a system of contracting and procurement under National Health Insurance, writes Sasha Stevenson.

Read More

Patient-centred health care: The NHI revolution you deserve

Patient-centred health care: The NHI revolution you deserve

A patient-centred health system will remain an illusion under the NHI unless the public health system is ramped up to better serve users and a clear path is outlined for public-private partnerships, argue Bernard Mutsago and Haseena Majid.

Read More

NHI lawmakers: Face to Face with DA MP Michele Clarke

NHI lawmakers: Face to Face with DA MP Michele Clarke

Michele Clarke recently took over the reins from Siviwe Gwarube as the Democratic Alliance’s health spokesperson and is no stranger to the hotbed of parliamentary politics. Bienne Huisman sat down with her to discuss taking up her new role amid ongoing deliberations on the NHI Bill in Parliament.

Read More

Opinion: Exciting health reforms are possible if we can move beyond all the political sclerosis

Opinion: Exciting health reforms are possible if we can move beyond all the political sclerosis

It is often enlightening to ask how and why certain services differ in the ways they do between the private and public healthcare sectors. By too rigidly focusing on the NHI Bill, argues Spotlight Editor Marcus Low, government risks losing sight of the many other interesting answers to this and other important questions about healthcare reform in South Africa.

Read More

Opinion: District hospitals will be key to NHI, empower them

Opinion: District hospitals will be key to NHI, empower them

The successful implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) will rely heavily on effective governance at district level. The NHI Bill correctly identifies district hospitals as key during the early transitional NHI phases. Failing to capacitate them for the challenges ahead could prove disastrous, argues Russell Rensburg and Claire Botha.

Read More