Tag: free healthcare

With the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill having been signed by the President, South Africans are more confused than ever before. While most have some level of understanding of what the NHI is, the vast majority are still not clear on what the bill entails.

Governments are often tempted to obfuscate reality through populist promises. South Africa is no different in this regard. For 23 years, health policy has gone from the 1995 policy paper on ‘free healthcare’ for all, to a Social Health Insurance (SHI) proposal in 1999 – hated by labour because it included a payroll tax. By 2004, reality set in. Free healthcare for all was simply not possible.