Is National Health Insurance the solution for South Africa's inequitable healthcare system?

Abstract

In the process of formulating its policy position on NHI, the ANC sought the input of a technical task team of key stakeholders from the public and private sectors aternities, the pharmacy community, private hospitals, the medical schemes regulator, private healthcare funders, the pharmaceutical industry, health economists and labour union representatives. This group was tasked with developing a set of recommendations on an appropriate NHI policy based on universal coverage and a state-managed single-payer administration with services free at the point of care. The team was to identify ways in which the service providers would be contracted and paid, and the public and private sectors would collaborate to promote efficiency and equity in the use of resources.