A South African labor union and a medical-insurance industry body have challenged the government\u2019s new health-insurance law in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee group Solidarity filed court papers on May 24 seeking to overturn the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, according to an emailed statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legislation was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSolidarity believes the NHI is unconstitutional as well as being unworkable and unaffordable,\u201d the labour union said. \u201cIt deprives healthcare workers as well as healthcare users of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) that represents some of the country\u2019s biggest medical insurers \u2014 including the Government Employees Medical Scheme \u2014 filed papers on Monday asking the court to set aside Ramaphosa\u2019s decision to sign the act, Netwerk24 reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The BHF argues the president ignored several presentations on the unconstitutionality of the NHI, the news website said, citing the papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The so-called NHI aims to fix South Africa\u2019s dysfunctional health system and make access to treatment more equitable, while banning the private sector from insuring treatment covered under the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opposition parties and business lobby groups have argued the program is unconstitutional and have also vowed to challenge it in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solidarity\u2019s application \u201cmisses a number of points,\u201d Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in an interview with Jennifer Zabasajja on Bloomberg Television Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The application talks about procurement, \u201cwhich is unconstitutional, which it is not, and secondly, it talks about there being no money bill \u2014 I table a money bill every year, so there\u2019s more politics than fact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government, under the ruling African National Congress (ANC), will focus on working out how to purchase services from public and private health care in a pilot project across the nation\u2019s nine provinces over the next two years, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n