Waukeshahealthinsurance.com-
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he plans to sign into law the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, which aims to provide universal health coverage to South Africans, although he did not give a timeframe.
The bill, which will cost billions of dollars in phases, is awaiting Ramaphosa's approval after it was approved by lawmakers last year.
“It's just a matter of time,” he told reporters in Cape Town without elaborating.
The law aims to provide health care to millions of poor citizens, a two-tier system that still reflects deep racial and social inequality three decades after the end of white minority rule.
It has been strongly opposed by business groups, who say it will undermine investment in the health care sector and hurt South Africa's already fragile economy.
Business Unity South Africa (BSA) and Business for South Africa (B4SA) said earlier this month they support the move to universal health coverage but are concerned about the “design and implementation” of the bill, calling for it to come back to Parliament for amendments. .
The law is popular with voters as South Africa heads into a competitive election year, but once signed into law, tangible changes are unlikely to come soon, analysts say.
“It will be blocked in court for years,” said Lou Neal, senior political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa.
(Reporting by Wendell Rolfe; Additional reporting and writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alexander Winning, William McLean)
Was this article helpful?
Here are some more articles you might enjoy.
interested in Health insurance?
Get automatic alerts for this topic.