NHI Whitepaper approved

Cabinet has approved the White Paper on the National Health Insurance (NHI) to be gazetted as a policy document.

Cabinet on Thursday said that the White Paper takes the country closer to ensuring all South Africans have access to healthcare, irrespective of their socio-economic status.

The NHI is a health financing system that is designed to pool funds to provide access to quality affordable personal health services for all South Africans based on their health needs.

“This is consistent with the National Development Plan’s objective that seeks to ensure everyone has access to healthcare, regardless of their income,” Cabinet said in statement.

The Department of Health will on Thursday, 29 June hold a briefing to fully unpack the elements of the White Paper.

During his department’s Budget Vote in May, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said tax credits worth R20 billion are being earmarked for the establishment of the NHI Fund.

The NHI is being implemented in phases over a 14-year period, which started in 2012. It is being established through the creation of the single fund that will buy services on behalf of the entire population. Funding for the NHI will be through a combination of various mandatory pre-payment sources, primarily based on general taxes.