Tag: National Health Insurance Bill

The passing of legislation is a complex process and often a lengthy one. There are many checks and balances before a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. Each bill is debated in detail and, if necessary, amended. If there is much public interest in a bill, public hearings may be organised to allow interested parties to make written comments and sometimes make oral representations on the provisions of the Bill.

John Bercow, the speaker of the United Kingdom parliament, was recently referred to by a reporter as “the marmite speaker”. The expression was developed, originating in the UK, using marmite as an adjective to mean you either love it or hate it (or them) – but cannot be indifferent to it.

We now have the next (and final?) edition of the National Health Insurance Bill which, aspirationally and inspirationally, seeks to achieve universal access to quality healthcare services in the Republic of South Africa in accordance with section 27 of the Constitution.

There has been a lot of hype around the proposed National Health Insurance Bill, 2018 (NHI Bill) and the numerous implications for South African citizens. Little has been said, however, about how the NHI Bill will impact on the provision of medical aid benefits in the employee context.