Nicholas Crisp, a key figure behind South Africa’s National Health Insurance programme, is preparing to leave the National Health Department. Crisp heads the NHI programme and serves as acting director-general of health. He said he would leave government service after September 2026. The Cabinet previously allowed him to remain in his position for another two years. This extended his service…
Tag: NHI Act
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NHI ConCourt Challenge: What’s At Stake For The Health System
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…
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Healthcare Funding Hiatus Forces A Harder NHI Conversation
South Africa’s healthcare debate is changing. With the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act stuck in legal processes and no clear healthcare funding pathway emerging from the 2026 Budget, the focus is moving from big promises to a tougher, present-day question: how do we fund care now, and what trade-offs will the system accept? That shift puts medical schemes back at…
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NHI Act Implementation: Addressing Healthcare Gaps
The legal journey of the National Health Insurance (NHI) has hit a significant pause. Following a High Court order, the South African government has agreed to halt the proclamation and implementation of the Act. This suspension will remain in place until the Constitutional Court rules on challenges regarding public participation. While the delay is legally rooted, it highlights a deeper…
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NHI Preparations Continue Despite Legal Pause
\n\nThe NHI remains one of the most debated policy projects in South Africa. It currently faces more than twelve separate legal challenges. Recent court developments have focused on the legality of the process rather than the NHI model itself.\n\n\n\nNHI Preparations are Ongoing Despite Agreement on Act\n\n\n\nLast week, Minister Motsoaledi and President Cyril Ramaphosa reached an agreement regarding the Act. They…
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NHI Truce Talks: Godongwana Pushes Settlement On NHI
South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) debate may finally be shifting from courtroom combat to negotiation. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has called for the parties litigating against the NHI Act to declare a truce and work towards a settlement. The message is simple. Years of fighting over the policy have drained attention from the daily job of fixing a strained…
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NHI Act Court Challenges and Their Implications
The Board of Healthcare Funders is preparing to escalate its legal fight against the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. They are launching two new court challenges targeting public participation and constitutionality. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) is preparing to launch two significant new legal challenges against South Africa’s contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. This signals a deepening…
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BHF calls for disclosure of Ramaphosa’s records on NHI Act
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) announced that it would require President Cyril Ramaphosa to disclose his records to determine whether he adhered to all legal requirements before signing the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act into law. This announcement comes amid escalating opposition to the contentious legislation. The NHI Act, which aims to establish universal health coverage for all South…
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SAPPF takes legal action against controversial NHI Act
The South African Private Practitioners Forum (SAPPF), the largest association of medical specialists, has taken legal action against the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. This move adds to the growing pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to reconsider the legislation, which has faced increasing opposition. The SAPPF filed an application with the High Court in Pretoria on October 1, asking…