Cabinet approves National Health Insurance Bill

Cabinet has approved the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, with the bill now expected to be tabled in parliament before the end of the year.

Presenting the outcome of the cabinet meeting on Thursday (11 July), minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said that the bill will be rolled out in phases once it has been passed.

“In 2018, cabinet approved that the bill be released for public consultation over a three-month period, from June to September 2018,” Mthembu said.

“The inputs received from this process have been incorporated into this latest version, which will be subjected to another rigorous parliamentary process.”

Mthembu said that the NHI will provide for universal quality healthcare services to all South Africans, irrespective of their socio-economic background.

He added that the new system will be based on values of justice, fairness and social solidarity.

“Once the Bill has been passed, the existing draft implementation plan will be amended accordingly to give effect to the transitional arrangement of rolling out the NHI in phases,” he said.

“The transition period will also allow for the repeal of certain pieces of legislation to enable alignment and coherence.”

Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, will hold a separate media briefing to unpack the bill at a later date.

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