News24 reports that the government of national unity (GNU) has quietly reached an ‘agreement’ on two key aspects of concern relating to the National Health Insurance (NHI).

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Maropene Ramokgopa revealed in an interview that the two main parties in the GNU, namely the ANC and the DA, have struck an informal agreement on the NHI after an ANC concession to drop sections of the law that could collapse medical aids. Ramokgopa said she met with Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and DA leader John Steenhuisen on the sidelines of last week's Cabinet lekgotla. The Minister, Motsoaledi and Steenhuisen agreed to a proposal suggesting that under the NHI, the government would not collapse medical aid schemes, while a ministerial advisory council would be established to determine how NHI funding would work. The council would sit when the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) has been adopted as policy. The Minister said President Cyril Ramaphosa would spearhead this process. For the DA, the collapsing of medical aid schemes implied by the NHI was a solid red line. The party was concerned that this would destroy private healthcare and jeopardise the overall quality of healthcare. Ramokgopa said whether patients wanted to participate in public or private healthcare, they would do so through the fund. The ministerial advisory council "will be the one to actually finalise how everything is going to be done", said Ramokgopa.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Soyiso Maliti at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)

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