The DA plans to seek legal advice on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, which is due to be tabled before the cabinet on December 5. The hotly contested bill paves the way for the establishment of a central fund that will purchase services on behalf of patients, and is a vital step towards the government’s ambitions of providing universal health coverage. The bill is now mired in controversy, after it emerged in early November that Treasury officials were butting heads with the president’s adviser, Olive Shisana, over a host of measures she and her team had introduced or changed after the public comment period on the bill had closed. The Treasury also raised concerns over the extent to which public submissions were considered. The extent to which the Treasury’s concerns have been addressed is not clear at this stage, as cabinet documents are classified and rarely leaked. The controversy was heightened last week after health director-general Precious Matsoso revealed that she h...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.