South Africa’s National Health Insurance Act is one of the most ambitious legislative reforms since democracy’s advent. Its goal, universal health coverage, is widely supported. But ambition alone does not make legislation constitutional, and the upcoming NHI ConCourt Challenge will test this. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) will appear before the Constitutional Court from 5 to 7 May. Its…
Tag: health system reform
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National Health Insurance: Minister Meets Medical Association
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has begun fresh engagement with one of his fiercest critics on the National Health Insurance (NHI). He met with the South African Medical Association (Sama) recently to discuss what he called “things we have in common”, despite Sama being among the organisations challenging the National Health Insurance Act in court. The NHI aims to establish a…
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Addressing gaps in South Africa’s primary healthcare system
One issue remains clear amid the debate over South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI): Primary healthcare is vital for creating a sustainable and equitable health system. However, achieving this will require significant investment in workforce training, healthcare delivery, and system reform. Primary healthcare (PHC) differs from the traditional medical model in that it focuses on community involvement and addresses the…