NHI is a corruption-filled gravy train waiting to depart, FMF tells Gauteng Legislature

FMF Principles_1

‘The NHI Bill represents an unachievable, unaffordable, and unconstitutional policy.’ – Michael Settas, Chair: Health Policy Unit, Free Market Foundation

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The Free Market Foundation (FMF) Health Policy Unit this week submitted its comment on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), expressing its severe objections to the misguided scheme.

The GPL Health and Wellness Portfolio Committee is currently reviewing the Bill and considering the views of Gauteng inhabitants.

The NHI Bill is based on the failed socialist and centrist ideologies that fully underpin the current government’s model of governance. It will only enable political interference, cadre-deployment, and state capture in healthcare.

‘Government’s claim that the NHI is essential to achieve universal health coverage is misleading. It is an attempt to detract from its governance and management failure in the public health system,’ says Michael Settas, Chair of the FMF Health Policy Unit.

South Africa’s existing health delivery mechanisms in both the private and public sectors already provide a universal health coverage framework, as confirmed by the International Labour Organisation, the World Health Organisation, and the Health Market Inquiry.

The problem is not a lack of universal health coverage, but the poor quality of care in the public health system and the high cost of private care.

The NHI is the Department of Health’s attempt to deflect attention from these real problems.

Additional complaints by the department of ‘resource constraints’ in the public sector or ‘super profits’ in the private sector, also do not stand up to scrutiny.

‘Per capita public health expenditure has increased beyond inflation levels and population growth over the past two decades, so much so that per capita public health budgets now are double what they used to be. This has also meant that the ratio of public medical personnel to population has improved in 25 out of 28 different medical disciplines,’ says Settas.

‘However, from a health outcome perspective, matters have only deteriorated over this period, so realistically one then has to ask the tough question: why are we not seeing improvements in outcomes with all these substantially increased resources?’ adds Settas.

Widespread governance failings in the public sector, which have repeatedly been verified in audits from the Office of Health Standards Compliance, the Auditor General and the Health Ombud, lie at the root of these poor outcomes.

Not only does the NHI Bill fail to address these obvious governance problems, but it will significantly exacerbate them. The NHI Bill’s weak governance model will enable the political interference required to fill the NHI board and its numerous subcommittees with politically aligned cadres, to manage a NHI budget in excess of R500 billion annually. This stands in stark contrast with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s warnings that this prevailing manner in which the leadership of state-owned entities is appointed is unconstitutional and largely responsible for the enablement of state capture and failing public services.

Martin van Staden, FMF Head of Policy, adds: ‘Besides our deep concerns around governance, the NHI Bill also infringes upon several rights embodied in the Constitution. The NHI Bill prevents medical schemes from covering services covered by the NHI, which will deny everyone the right to receive healthcare from service providers of their choice. This imposition effectively nationalises the private healthcare sector, forcing doctors to become servants of the state or, in the more likely event, emigrate.’

Click here to read the FMF’s full submission.

Ends.

Press inquiries

Anneke Burns
FMF Publicist 
071 423 0079 | press@fmfsa.org

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NGV is ‘n korrupsie-gevulde gravy-trein wat wag om te vertrek, sê FMF vir Gautengse Wetgewer

‘Die NGV-wetsontwerp verteenwoordig ‘n onhaalbare, onbekostigbare, en ongrondwetlike beleid.’ – Michael Settas, Voorsitter: Gesondheidsbeleidseenheid, Vryemarkstigting

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Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) se Gesondheidsbeleidseenheid het die week sy kommentaar op die Wetsontwerp op Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering (NGV) aan die Gauteng Provinsiale Wetgewer (GPL) voorgelê en sy ernstige besware teen die verwarde voorstel uitgespreek.

Die GPL se Portefeuljekomitee vir Gesondheid en Welstand hersien tans die wetsontwerp en oorweeg die menings van inwoners van Gauteng daarop.

Die NGV-wetsontwerp is gebaseer op die mislukte sosialistiese en sentralistiese ideologieë wat die huidige regering se regeermodel ten volle onderlê. Dit sal slegs politieke inmenging, kaderontplooiing, en staatskaping in die gesondheidsektor moontlik maak.

‘Die regering se bewering dat die NGV noodsaaklik is om universele gesondheidsdekking te bereik is misleidend. Dit is ‘n poging om aandag af te lei van sy regerings- en bestuursmislukking in die openbare gesondheidstelsel,’ sê Michael Settas, Voorsitter van die FMF Gesondheidsbeleidseenheid.

Suid-Afrika se bestaande gesondheidslewering-meganismes in beide die privaat en openbare sektore verskaf reeds ‘n raamwerk vir universele gesondheidsdekking, soos bevestig deur die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie, die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie, en die Gesondheidsmarkondersoek.

Die probleem is nie ‘n gebrek aan universele gesondheidsdekking nie, maar die swak gehalte van sorg in die openbare gesondheidstelsel en die hoë koste van privaatsorg.

Die NGV is die Departement van Gesondheid se poging om aandag van hierdie werklike probleme af te lei.

Addisionele klagtes deur die departement van ‘hulpbronbeperkings’ in die openbare sektor of ‘superwinste’ in die privaatsektor is ook misleidend.

‘Per capita openbare gesondheidsuitgawes het oor die afgelope twee dekades gestyg na verby inflasievlakke en bevolkingsgroei, sodat per capita openbare gesondheidsbegrotings nou dubbel is wat dit vroeër was. Dit beteken ook dat die verhouding van openbare mediese personeel tot bevolking in 25 van die 28 verskeie mediese dissiplines verbeter het,’ sê Settas.

‘Nietemin, vanuit ‘n gesondheidsuitkomste-perspektief het sake egter net oor hierdie tydperk agteruitgegaan, so realisties moet ‘n mens dan die moeilike vraag vra: hoekom sien ons nie verbeterings in uitkomste met al hierdie wesenlik vermeerderde hulpbronne nie?’ voeg Settas by.

Wydverspreide bestuursmislukkings in die openbare sektor, wat herhaaldelik in oudits van die Kantoor vir Voldoening aan Gesondheidstandaarde, die Ouditeur-Generaal, en die Gesondheidsombud geverifieer is, lê aan die wortel van hierdie swak uitkomste.

Die NGV-wetsontwerp versuim nie net om hierdie ooglopende bestuursprobleme aan te spreek nie, maar sal dit aansienlik vererger. Die NGV-wetsontwerp se swak bestuursmodel sal die politieke inmenging wat nodig is om die NGV-direksie en sy talle subkomitees met polities belynde kaders te vul, in staat stel om ’n NGV-begroting van meer as R500 miljard jaarliks te bestuur. Dit staan in skrille kontras met hoofregter Raymond Zondo se waarskuwings dat hierdie heersende wyse waarop die leierskap van staatsbeheerde entiteite aangestel word ongrondwetlik is en grootliks verantwoordelik is vir die bemagtiging van staatskaping en mislukte openbare dienste.

Martin van Staden, FMF Beleidshoof, voeg by: ‘Benewens ons diepgaande kommer oor die bestuursraamwerk, maak die NGV-wetsontwerp ook inbreuk op verskeie regte wat in die Grondwet verskans is. Die NGV-wetsontwerp verhoed dat mediese skemas dienste dek wat deur die NGV gedek word, wat almal die reg sal ontsê om gesondheidsorg van diensverskaffers van hul keuse te ontvang. Hierdie bepaling nasionaliseer effektief die privaatgesondheidsektor, wat dokters sal dwing om dienaars van die staat te word of, in die meer waarskynlike geval, te emigreer.’

Kliek hier om die FMF se volledige voorlegging te lees.

Einde.

Persnavrae

Anneke Burns
FMF Publisiteitsbeampte
071 423 0079 | press@fmfsa.org

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