BusinessLive reports that Parliament’s portfolio committee on health has called for public submissions on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, which contains the first concrete proposals for realising the government’s plans for achieving universal health coverage.  

It proposes extensive reforms to the way healthcare is financed and provided, with a central NHI fund that will purchase services on behalf of the entire population.  The bill was tabled in parliament on 8 August, and interested parties have until 11 October to make written submissions and indicate whether they want to make oral presentations to the committee.  The bill has already overcome its first hurdle, after the DA asked for urgent legal advice on its constitutionality.  Last week the state attorney assured the portfolio committee that the bill was not at odds with the constitution, despite its proposed changes to the role of provincial health departments.  The constitution says health is a concurrent power, to be shared between the provincial and national health departments.  But the bill proposes shifting much of the funding and responsibilities currently provided to the provincial health departments.  The money will be moved into the NHI fund, and the job of contracting with service providers will be devolved to hundreds of new units answerable to district health management offices overseen by the national health department.

• Read the full original of the above report by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page