By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the contentious National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law on Wednesday, setting the stage for a protracted fight with business, healthcare professionals and opposition parties.
The bill sets in motion the government’s ambitious plans for universal health coverage, which to create a unified health system that provides patients with care that is free at the point of delivery, whether at a public or private facility.
Ramaphosa will sign into law the National Health Insurance Bill aimed at transforming “South Africa’s health-care system to achieve universal coverage for health services and, through this, overcome critical socio-economic imbalances and inequities of the past,” the Presidency said in a statement Monday.
Presidency added that the signing ceremony will take place at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, at 14h00.
In December, the National Council of Provinces voted in favour of the NHI Bill, paving the way for the president to sign it into law. During the State of the Nation Address in February, the President joked that he was looking for a pen to sign the Bill.
Political parties and other stakeholders have urged the president to refer the bill back to parliament because it was flawed.
They have threatened to take the government to court if Ramaphosa signs it into law after they said it was unconstitutional and unworkable.
Other stakeholders have argued that parliament had failed to take into account submissions made during the public hearings.
Despite the fears of the NHI, experts have said that those covered by the private sector should not worry about the Bill.
Efficient Wealth said that Ramaphosa and the ANC will use the NHI and other policies as electioneering tools.
However, even if it is signed into law, the current version will face an onslaught of legal fights, with the Bill not seeing the light of day for many years.
Tax experts from Sage also said that the implementation of the NHI could be delayed due to question marks over its funding.
The group said that the government would fear introducing new payroll taxes and the potential cancellation of medical aid membership, with the latter adding further strain to an already troubled public healthcare system.