‘Organised business must change its future approach to dealings with government, and reject the NHI proposal with the contempt that it deserves.’ – David Ansara, Chief Executive Officer of the FMF
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
Yesterday, the Select Committee on Health and Social Services in the National Council of Provinces adopted the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill without any changes, despite assurances to business associations that the Bill would be softened. This development is further proof that government was never intent on incorporating the inputs and suggestions made by the private sector.
‘The Free Market Foundation (FMF) has long called on business to not assume good faith from the government. Its naïvety will cost commerce and all South Africans dearly,’ said David Ansara, CEO of the FMF. ‘We now face the collapse of the private healthcare sector, which will mean that countless jobs will be lost, along with quality service and freedom of choice in healthcare.’
Business should never have accepted NHI ‘in principle’. This concession did not buy them any political capital. Organised business has been focused on amending section 33 of the Bill. This provision will, once the NHI is fully implemented, prohibit medical schemes from offering benefits covered by the NHI Fund. But the NHI is bigger than only section 33, and touches on constitutional liberties and governance. Business’s narrow approach is misguided. NHI represents a fundamental assault by the state on the independence of private healthcare, and should be opposed in its entirety.
‘Business has no reason to grovel before a malicious government for minor concessions. The commercial sector in South Africa is significantly stronger and more capacitated than the public sector. Business needs to start taking the lead, rather than reinforcing the harmful agenda of the government,’ continued Ansara.
Business’s attempts to substantively water down NHI have failed. This strategy must change. Business’s leadership role in this context should be to defend the interests of healthcare consumers, medical professionals, and shareholders, not to toe the line of the brazenly ideological programme that is the NHI.
Unconstitutional
The NHI Bill infringes upon several rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. It will prevent medical schemes from covering services covered by the NHI, which will deny everyone the right to receive healthcare from service providers of their choice.
‘The NHI’s imposition effectively nationalises the private healthcare sector, forcing doctors to become servants of the state or, in the more likely event, emigrate,’ said Martin van Staden, FMF Head of Policy.
The FMF Health Policy Unit has long warned of the NHI’s weak governance model, which will enable political interference in key components such as setting up the NHI board and its numerous subcommittees. This is likely to result in politically aligned cadres managing an NHI budget that is in excess of R500 billion annually. The constitution of the NHI Fund flies in the face of the Zondo Commission’s insights and recommendations.
‘The Free Market Foundation insists that organised business must change its future approach to dealings with government, and reject the NHI proposal with the contempt that it deserves,’ concluded Ansara.
Ends.
Click here for a soundbite by David Ansara.
Press enquiries
Anneke Burns
FMF Publicist
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org
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NGV: ‘Besigheid moet ophou neerbuig en besef dat dit die krag het om die NGV teen te staan’ – FMF
‘Georganiseerde besigheid moet sy toekomstige benadering tot omgang met die regering verander en die NGV-voorstel met die minagting wat dit verdien verwerp.’ – David Ansara, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van die FMF
Scroll up for English version.
Die Gekose Komitee vir Gesondheid en Maatskaplike Dienste in die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies het gister die Nasionale Gesondheidsversekeringswet (NGV) sonder enige veranderinge aanvaar, ten spyte van versekerings wat aan besigheidsverenigings gegee is dat die wetsontwerp versag sou word. Hierdie ontwikkeling is verdere bewys dat die regering nooit van voorneme was om die insette en voorstelle van die privaatsektor in te sluit nie.
‘Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) roep lank reeds daarop dat besigheid nie goeie trou van die regering moet verwag nie. Besigheid se naïwiteit gaan handel, en alle Suid-Afrikaners, duur te staan kom,’ het David Ansara, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van die FMF, gesê. ‘Ons staar nou die ineenstorting van die private gesondheidsektor in die gesig, wat talle werksgeleenthede, asook gehalte diens en vryheid van keuse in gesondheidsorg, gaan kos.’
Besigheid behoort nooit die NGV ‘in beginsel’ aanvaar het nie. Hierdie toegewing het hulle geen politieke kapitaal ingekoop nie. Georganiseerde besigheid het daarop gemik om artikel 33 van die wetsontwerp te wysig. Hierdie bepaling sal, sodra die NGV volledig geïmplementeer is, mediese skemas verhoed om voordele aan te bied wat deur die NGV-fonds gedek word. Maar die NGV is groter as slegs artikel 33, en raak aan grondwetlike vryhede en die bestuur van die fonds. Besigheid se eng benadering is ondeurdag. Die NGV verteenwoordig ‘n fundamentele aanval deur die staat op die onafhanklikheid van private gesondheidsorg en behoort in sy geheel verwerp te word.
‘Besigheid het geen rede om voor ‘n kwaadwillige regering neer te buig vir klein toegewings nie. Die kommersiële sektor in Suid-Afrika is aansienlik sterker en meer bekwaam as die openbare sektor. Besigheid moet begin om die voortou te neem, eerder as om die skadelike agenda van die regering te versterk,’ het Ansara verder gesê.
Besigheid se pogings om die NGV substansieel af te water het misluk. Hierdie strategie moet verander. Besigheid se leierskaprol in hierdie konteks moet wees om die belange van gesondheidsorgverbruikers, mediese professionele persone, en aandeelhouers te verdedig, eerder as om in lyn te val met die duidelik ideologiese program wat die NGV is.
Ongrondwetlik
Die NGV-wetsontwerp skend verskeie regte wat in die Grondwet verskans is. Dit sal mediese skemas verhoed om dienste te dek wat deur die NGV gedek word, wat almal die reg ontneem om gesondheidsorg van diensverskaffers van hul keuse te ontvang.
‘Die afdwinging van die NGV sal effektief die private gesondheidsorgsektor nasionaliseer, en sal doktors dwing om dienaars van die staat te word of, in die meer waarskynlike geval, te emigreer,’ het Martin van Staden, FMF Beleidshoof, gesê.
Die FMF Health Policy Unit waarsku lankal reeds teen die swak regeringsmodel van die NGV, wat politieke inmenging in sleutelkomponente soos die oprigting van die NGV-raad en sy talryke subkomitees moontlik gaan maak. Dit sal waarskynlik daartoe lei dat polities-verbonde kaders ‘n NGV-begroting van meer as R500 miljard jaarliks gaan bestuur. Die konstitusie van die NGV-fonds gaan in die gesig van die insigte en aanbevelings van die Zondo-kommissie in.
‘Die Vryemarkstigting hou vol dat georganiseerde besigheid sy toekomstige benadering tot omgang met die regering moet verander, en die NGV-voorstel met die minagting wat dit verdien moet verwerp,’ het Ansara afgesluit.
Einde.
Klik hier vir ‘n klankgreep (in Engels) deur David Ansara.
Persnavrae
Anneke Burns
FMF Publisiteitsbeampte
071 423 0079 | press@fmfsa.org
