Another NHI headache for Ramaphosa

[BusinessTech]

Another NHI headache for Ramaphosa

NHI opponents have their finger on the trigger to launch even more court challenges the minute president Ramaphosa finds that pen to sign it into law.

 

[Nom Chompsky]

Also there is no money - not even the ANC can hide the fact that the country is broke. Remember that the Treasury is dipping into South Africa's foreign exchange reserves this year without the NHI.

 

[dualmeister]

“Initially, there will be no tax for the NHI. The government will pool the funds that already exist in the public sector to start the NHI. When the NHI is up and running, then Treasury may introduce a small tax to augment the money allocated through the public budget,” the government’s communication service said.

Bloody hell. South Africans can spend all their medical aid money on other things now.
It will be like Black Friday every day

 

[The_MAC]

“Initially, there will be no tax for the NHI. The government will pool the funds that already exist in the public sector to start the NHI. When the NHI is up and running, then Treasury may introduce a small tax to augment the money allocated through the public budget,” the government’s communication service said.

In other words, we will go gently on you, take you out to dinner, sing to you, and then when you are asleep, bam!

 

[crxboy]

"Medical aid tax credits will also be removed, and the proceeds will be handed to the NHI."

May I paint a scenario?

Imagine the day NHI is approved and enforced (or whatever you would like to call it). Why on god's green earth will we continue to pay for private medical aid? Private medical aid will not be allowed to provide me anything that is already covered by NHI (which I'm assuming will be 90% of known medical procedures to man...).

Your contributions via "medical aid tax credits" (which forms a massive part of your funding model), will disappear within months of NHI kicking in... THEN WHAT?

Please just think rationally for a second.

The way I see it, my private medical aid reduces the burden on the state, as such the LEAST the state could do is to incentivize me for this...

I'm no economist, so please forgive me if I am not seeing the "whole picture" here.

 

[LCBXX]

Also there is no money - not even the ANC can hide the fact that the country is broke. Remember that the Treasury is dipping into South Africa's foreign exchange reserves this year without the NHI.

There is lots of money. This is one of the reasons the NHI debacle is being dragged out and people are getting paid for as long as it can be milked.

 

[ShaunSA]

 

[Jings]

"Medical aid tax credits will also be removed, and the proceeds will be handed to the NHI."

May I paint a scenario?

Imagine the day NHI is approved and enforced (or whatever you would like to call it). Why on god's green earth will we continue to pay for private medical aid? Private medical aid will not be allowed to provide me anything that is already covered by NHI (which I'm assuming will be 90% of known medical procedures to man...).

Your contributions via "medical aid tax credits" (which forms a massive part of your funding model), will disappear within months of NHI kicking in... THEN WHAT?

Please just think rationally for a second.

The way I see it, my private medical aid reduces the burden on the state, as such the LEAST the state could do is to incentivize me for this...

I'm no economist, so please forgive me if I am not seeing the "whole picture" here.

May I paint another picture.

NHI is approved and it's no longer necessary to pay medical aid as medical treatment is covered.

Now there's many hours waiting in consulting rooms waiting to see the GP. Then there's a six month wait to see a specialist since the symptoms are beyond the GP's scope.

The specialist is really busy as so many have emigrated due to NHI, and fails to make the correct diagnosis.

Then you die and don't have to pay any more taxes.

 

[rvZA]

Everyone threatening with court cases are fooling themselves. All cases so far are diving right into the ground. The NHI is coming and no number of court cases will stop it.

 

[ghaye]

May I paint another picture.

NHI is approved and it's no longer necessary to pay medical aid as medical treatment is covered.

Now there's many hours waiting in consulting rooms waiting to see the GP. Then there's a six month wait to see a specialist since the symptoms are beyond the GP's scope.

The specialist is really busy as so many have emigrated due to NHI, and fails to make the correct diagnosis.

Then you die and don't have to pay any more taxes.

No, you are describing NHS! Here in South Africa we know how to do things properly. Will work perfectly as promised. Long-standing track record that proves this.

 

[RedViking]

May I paint another picture.

NHI is approved and it's no longer necessary to pay medical aid as medical treatment is covered.

Now there's many hours waiting in consulting rooms waiting to see the GP. Then there's a six month wait to see a specialist since the symptoms are beyond the GP's scope.

The specialist is really busy as so many have emigrated due to NHI, and fails to make the correct diagnosis.

Then you die and don't have to pay any more taxes.

Waiting times for specialists are already 6 months. Try double or triple that.

 

[TedLasso]

Waiting times for specialists are already 6 months. Try double or triple that.

In which country? Not my experience in South Africa, and we prop up a few of them due to needs to long term guests, etc. Whenever they say, they need to consult someone else, that appt is within a week. Longest one for for my litey which was 2 months. But apparently there's only a few them in South Africa.

 

[dualmeister]

By year two they will be re-using tongue depressors to save money.

 

[crxboy]

May I paint another picture.

NHI is approved and it's no longer necessary to pay medical aid as medical treatment is covered.

Now there's many hours waiting in consulting rooms waiting to see the GP. Then there's a six month wait to see a specialist since the symptoms are beyond the GP's scope.

The specialist is really busy as so many have emigrated due to NHI, and fails to make the correct diagnosis.

Then you die and don't have to pay any more taxes.

Your picture is horrible, but undeniable. We all know this is where this clusterf* is heading if it comes to fruition.

If a genie granted me 1 wish for this country, it would be that that citizens contributing to the fiscus via (income- and business-tax) gets a 25 to 1 weighted vote compared to citizens living off of grants... but alas as the ANC has said in the past, "it will only happen with the second coming of Jesus".

 

[notayoba]

I'm no economist, so please forgive me if I am not seeing the "whole picture" here.

The whole picture is that your medical aid contributions go to medical aid providers and healthcare and not the ANC.

That cannot stand. What do you expect the cadres to eat, and how must they fuel their jets? Champagne costs money, it doesn't fall out of the sky for free.

 

[rvZA]

Waiting times for specialists are already 6 months. Try double or triple that.

Happening abroad in countries like the UK, US, Australia and right across Europe too. I know a Saffer in the UK that had to wait 14 months to see a specialist there. We were one of the few countries lucky enough to not have been affected by this until recent years. There was always a reason why many rich and royalty people came to SA to see specialists and get procedures done medically.

 

[RedViking]

In which country? Not my experience in South Africa, and we prop up a few of them due to needs to long term guests, etc. Whenever they say, they need to consult someone else, that appt is within a week. Longest one for for my litey which was 2 months. But apparently there's only a few them in South Africa.

You don't have to believe me. I have nothing to prove. We are screwed either way.

 

[rvZA]

In which country? Not my experience in South Africa, and we prop up a few of them due to needs to long term guests, etc. Whenever they say, they need to consult someone else, that appt is within a week. Longest one for for my litey which was 2 months. But apparently there's only a few them in South Africa.

Definitely in SA. We have single skin specialist in my town. 8 months to a year waiting time before you get in to see him. A neurosurgeon in a local hospital has a 4 month waiting time for non-medical emergencies. The wheels are coming off slowly and we do not even have the NHI as yet.

 

[RedViking]

Happening abroad in countries like the UK, US, Australia and right across Europe too. I know a Saffer in the UK that had to wait 14 months to see a specialist there. We were one of the few countries lucky enough to not have been affected by this until recent years. There was always a reason why many rich and royalty people came to SA to see specialists and get procedures done medically.

Except we are a third world country with far less specialists and getting fewer every year.

"Were" is correct .

 

[Jings]

No, you are describing NHS! Here in South Africa we know how to do things properly. Will work perfectly as promised. Long-standing track record that proves this.

SOE's demonstrate an excellent track record.

Waiting times for specialists are already 6 months. Try double or triple that.

More people might be moving to cities from rural areas just for the specialist medical treatment.