National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill: consideration of public submissions & Department response; with Minister

Meeting report

The Chairperson greeted Members on the platform and indicated that the meeting may commence.

The Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, was present on the platform.

The Chairperson welcomed the Department of Health (DoH).

The Chairperson indicated that the Select Committee would receive a briefing from the Department of Health on its response to the submissions on the National Health Insurance Bill (NHIB) arising from the National Council of Provinces (NOCP) process.

The Minister did not make any input and asked Dr Nicholas Crisp to proceed to the presentation.

DoH response to submissions

Dr Nicholas Crisp, Deputy Director-General (DDG): National Health Insurance, presented the Department’s response to the submissions on the NHI Bill.

The DoH received a total of 106 written submissions and an additional of 23 465 submissions from all provinces.

The Department acknowledged and affirmed it is considering key areas for amendments to the Bill such as governance, medical schemes, district health management office and technical correction. The Department also notes the points of opposition to the Bill.

The DoH thoroughly appreciated all inputs and highlighted that the Bill is not an implementation plan. Many concerns that stakeholders raised were operational matters and would be addressed in the regulations once Parliament passes the Bill.

Dr Crisp also assured the Committee that there would be public participation when regulations are drafted.

See detailed responses attached

Discussion

Mr E Nchabeleng (ANC, Limpopo) welcomed the response and was confident that the Department would be available for questions should Committee Members or stakeholders have further questions for clarity.

He was satisfied with the Department’s indication that there would be public participation in the regulations of the NHI Bill.  

Ms E Nkosi (ANC, Mpumalanga) welcomed the detailed and very informative response and noted the addition of the submissions of the Free State which had been the cause of postponement in the previous meeting.

Mr M Bara (DA, Gauteng) welcomed the response. He asked if the Select Committee would be getting the inputs on those issues that needed to be refined before the Bill moved to its next legislative process.

Minister Phaahla replied that the DoH needed to look at all the inputs of the provincial mandates on the Bill. After that process was concluded, the Department would provide the Committee with its final inputs.

Way forward

The Chairperson indicated that the Committee would be receiving the negotiating mandates of the provincial legislature health committees on Tuesday, 14 November. Thereafter, on 21 November, the Select Committee would receive the final mandates on the Bill from the provincial legislatures. The Committee will then adopt the report on the Bill.

The Select Committee has extended its programmes to accommodate this process.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting.