NHI Green paper welcomed

The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the publication of the government Green Paper on the National Health Insurance Scheme and the promise that it is to be piloted in 10 health districts from April next year.

We commend Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi for his determination to implement one of the most important resolutions of the 2007 ANC Polokwane Conference. In the words of the African National Congress's Policy Statement (ANC Today, 27 July 2009), the NHI will:

• Expand health coverage to all South Africans... There will be no financial barrier to access health care. All South Africans will be equally covered to access comprehensive and quality health care. Health services covered by NHI will be a free at the point use - no upfront payment will be required by the doctor or hospital.
• Provide comprehensive coverage of health services. South Africans will be entitled to a comprehensive range of health benefits, including primary care, inpatient and outpatient care, dental, prescription drugs and supplies. The services will be provided on a uniform basis at all health facilities.

The government must now speedily expand the system to the whole country, to provide affordable, quality healthcare to all South Africans.

COSATU will be studying the Green paper and publish a detailed response. We are however extremely concerned at the reassurances the minister gave to the private healthcare sector at the release of the Green paper:

• That it had a role to play in NHI,
• That the challenge and the intent of NHI is to draw on the strengths of both healthcare sectors (public and private) to better service the public, and
• That people will be able to continue to purchase medical scheme cover, and private sector healthcare providers will be free to choose whether or not to contract with the state.

In particular COSATU is totally opposed to the proposal to introduce a "multi-payer" system, under which private medical schemes will be allowed to charge the government for a proportion of the treatment they deliver to their clients.

This flies in the face of the ANC's commitment to "create a publicly administered and publicly funded National Health Insurance Fund, which will be a single-payer fund that receives funds, pool resources and purchase services on behalf of the entire population."

The move towards a "multi-payer" system, smuggled into the Green paper by the Treasury, threatens to undermine the whole basis of the NHI and allow the discredited private medical schemes to continue to rip off their clients and even to be subsidised by the tax-payers.

COSATU will engage with government and strongly oppose any proposals to dilute the principles agreed to by the ANC and its allies.

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, August 11 2011

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter