National healthcare is about to become the next ‘e-tolls’

The large degree of uncertainty and lack of common understanding of how the NHI will be implemented and operate is of concern, given the magnitude of the proposed reform, according to the Davis Tax committee, which published its findings on the proposed National Health Insurance on Monday.

The report found that the plan will not only require greater technical skills, but also higher-order political skills, as any fundamental re-organisation of the health system will invariably create “winners and losers”.

However, arguably the biggest problems surrounding the NHI is the lack of public engagement – meaning it is on a crash course for becoming e-tolls 2.0, the committee said.

“Inadequate engagement at the early stages of NHI may well create resistance to change in the latter stages of implementation – much like the e-toll project.”

“The voice of the person in the street, the patient, seems conspicuous by its absence in a policy domain dominated by experts.

“There is currently substantial uncertainty about both the costs and funding shortfall of the NHI given the level of detail on institutional reforms and the lack of specifics on health
financing system reforms.

“Detailed implementation plans and financing plans still need to be developed,” it said.

You can read the full report here. 

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