Konaman Posted June 10, 2009 Share First they ruined the school system, then the police and their capacity to reduce crime, then service delivery in state departments, then the courts are friendly with criminals, the roads are falling apart, no other western country recognize the qualifications obtained by our university students, etc etc etcWhere is it going to end?Now private Healthcare will be next to mess up, because its to good for African standards. Check this out to see how it will affect you.Just dont crash with your bike because, Pretoria will have to authorise your admission at a State hospital, that will probably have no bandages or doctors to look after you.http://www.health24.com/news/Health_care/1-918,51272.aspTaken from the News24 website.NHI: key details Last updated: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Print Inhis State of the Nation address, President Jacob Zuma announced theintroduction of a National Health Insurance system. We're in possessionof the confidential document in which an ANC task team sets out its NHIplan. Here are the details of the NHI plan. By Mari Hudson, for What?s New DOC NHI plan in a nutshell Every employed South African will have to contribute to NHI. - 5% of your salary I believeMembers can choose a primary health care provider from a list ofaccredited providers in the private and public sector in their district.Members will be allowed about three visits to their chosenclinic/GP per year. Visits to higher health care facilities andproviders will have to be authorized, possibly from NHI headquarters inPretoria. Otherwise members will have to foot the bill themselves.Private health care providers contracted by the NHIA will earn much less per patient than the medical scheme scale of benefits.Salaries, working conditions and management skills need to beimproved. Expat health and managerial professionals must be attractedback to South Africa.The Cuban doctors programme will be revived.The state plans to manufacture its own drugs. How the ANC wants the NHI to work: On funding and access The ANC?s NHI task team proposes that a?yet-to-be-established? body called the NHI Authority (NHIA) will poolall funds from general taxes, a new mandatory pay roll levy and medicalscheme contributions from GEMS and other public sector medical schemes,into a new government-controlled NHI Fund. This will be used topurchase health care services from the public and private sector.The employers? and employees? mandatory NHI contribution couldinitially be at a lower level than their current medical schemecontribution, but will gradually increase to the level of contributionscurrently paid by medical scheme members.The NHI fund ?will promote social solidarity through income and risk cross subsidisation.?All South Africans will have equal access to equal health services? but these services should preferably be public sector clinics andhospitals, including those (more than 50%, according to an officialaudit) that do not meet the minimum accreditation standards. On the new structure The NHIA will receive funds from various sources, then poolthese resources and purchase services on behalf of the entirepopulation.The NHIA will be run by a CEO who reports directly to the ministerof health, and will be supported by an executive management team andspecific technical committees (including a technical advisory,auditing, pricing, remuneration and benefits advisory committee).The NHIA will be publicly administrated, will be ?a public entity?, and ?there will be no role for private intermediaries?. The NHIA will have subnational offices at provincial and districtlevels. The district health councils and provincial sub-authoritieswill plan for infrastructure and service provision. The NHIA will thenpurchase these services on behalf of the districts.?Significant improvement in managerial capacity? at district level will be key to the success of the NHI. On service providers The first choice in primary health care provision will beaccredited community health centres and private GPs. Secondary,tertiary and quaternary levels of care will be provided mainly bypublic hospitals, but also by private specialists and private hospitals.The ultimate objective is to secure provider payment for allaccredited providers; risk-adjusted per capita payments for GPs,community health centres, clinics and others; and case-based paymentsfor hospitals, salaried doctors and specialists.?Given the current capacity constraints in the public sector andthe need to reduce the disruption of services, budgets will continue tobe used for both primary care and hospital level providers in thepublic sector, until such time as a facility is accredited,? accordingto the plan.Out-of-pocket payments will only be made in exceptional circumstance.There may be an element of better payments for increased performance. On registration for NHI Every South African will be registered for the NHI and assigned to specific health care facilities closest to them.Everyone will receive a NHI card to show when they visited their assigned local primary health care clinic or GP. All patient information will be on electronic patient records so that health authorities can plan according to need. On the benefit package The benefit package is comprehensive, operating with the current public health services as its benchmark.Members will choose a primary health care provider from the list ofaccredited providers in the private and public sector in theirdistrict. They will be encouraged to use public sector facilities.Members will be allowed about three visits to his/her chosen clinic/GP per year.Members travelling outside their district, might be allowed tovisit a facility, but this will be discouraged and only a limitednumber of visits outside the district will be permitted.A member?s benefit package will comprise ?comprehensive out-patientand in-patient care at public and private health facilities?, but itwill be capped, and only authorised (possibly only by the NHIA inPretoria) referrals to secondary, tertiary and quaternary levels ofcare will be allowed.If a member visits any specialist or private hospital withoutauthorised referral, he will pay out of his own pocket for thetreatment. On auditing and accreditation of facilities The NHI plan proposes that a detailed audit of all publicand private facilities in the country be conducted in order toestablish the stock and distribution of these facilities. ?The credibility of the NHI will rest on the visible improvementin the provision of quality of services for all. All facilities,private and public, will be NHI accredited, based on agreed nationalnorms and standards. The aim is to accredit at least 25% of facilitiesannually, over a five year phased period, until all facilities areincluded,? the document states.But all public sector clinics and hospitals will be contracted bythe NHI, even if they deliver services below the accreditationstandards. On human resources ?Comprehensive strategies for increasing the supply,quality, distribution, and retention of various categories of healthworkers in the country? should be implemented, the plan states. Thefunds will be used to fill vacant posts (more than 30% of doctors?posts and between 36%-56% of current nursing posts are vacant), tocreate new posts (South Africa immediately needs more than 70 000 morehealth professionals, according to the Roadmap document) and to createnew posts as nurses? training colleges are re-opened. Working conditions and salaries are to be improved in order toattract South African health and managerial professionals in othercountries back to a ?more efficient public health care sector?.The Cuban doctors programme is to be revived. A new and largecontingent of Cuban doctors is to be imported to fill vacant posts andso allow foreign nationals to practice legally.Although the plan mentions occupation pecific dispensation forpublic service doctors, and President Zuma said the government waspaying ?urgent attention to the issues of remuneration of healthprofessionals? to remove uncertainty in our health services, there isno mention of budget allocations for a 50% increase.Private health care providers contracted by the NHIA will earn muchless per patient than the medical scheme scale of benefits and thesepractitioners are expected to adhere to the NHIA?s prescribed treatmentprotocols. On the shortage of drugs ?There is also a need to implement the Polokwane Resolutionto establish a state company to produce drugs as a means of reducingthe cost of medicines,? the plan states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudda Posted June 10, 2009 Share ?Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill forall ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay ourtaxes, it would go something like this:The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.The fifth would pay $1.The sixth would pay $3.The seventh would pay $7.The eighth would pay $12.The ninth would pay $18.The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.So, that?s what they decided to do.The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy withthe arrangement, until on day, the owner threw them a curve. ?Since youare all such good customers,? he said, ?I?m going to reduce the cost ofyour daily bee r by $20.? Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes sothe first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.But what about the other six men ? the paying customers? How could theydivide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ?fair share??They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtractedthat from everybody?s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man wouldeach end up being paid to drink his beer.So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man?sbill by roughly the same percent, and he proceeded to work out theamounts each should pay.And so:The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).The n inth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).Each of the six was better off than before. And the first fourcontinued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the menbegan to compare their savings.?I only got a dollar out of the $20,?declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,? but he got $10!??Yeah, that?s right,? exclaimed the fifth man. ?I only saved a dollar, too. It?s unfair that he got TEN times more than I!??That?s true!!? shouted the seventh man. ?Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!??Wait a minute,? yelled the first four men in unison. ?We didn?t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!?The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.The next night the tenth man didn?t show up for drinks, so the ninesat down and had beers without him. B ut when it came time to pay thebill, they discovered something important. They didn?t have enoughmoney between all of them for even half of the bill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog_ Posted June 10, 2009 Share The benefit package is comprehensive, operating with the current public health services as its benchmark Now this scares me! I was inside a public hospital twice in the last 10 years, both times to help remove injured friends and take them to a private clinic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aleksandar Posted June 10, 2009 Share The benefit package is comprehensive' date=' operating with the current public health services as its benchmark[/quote'] Now this scares me! I was inside a public hospital twice in the last 10 years, both times to help remove injured friends and take them to a private clinic. Wife works in better public hospital but still I would not go there.Scary!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodbadugly Posted June 10, 2009 Share Just like grade 1 school kids thinking they can buy a Merc with R200. It took the UK (First world country with money) about 10 years to implement their system. Our government(third world country with less money and in a recession) promised their voters a NHI in 2011... I wonder where they plan to get the hundred billion rand (excluding bribes) to get this system up and running. Also from the 5% of the population paying tax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no.one.knows Posted June 10, 2009 Share The bigger picture is that in doing this, the government fat cats get more money. Its that simple!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed Posted June 10, 2009 Share The benefit package is comprehensive' date=' operating with the current public health services as its benchmark[/quote']Now this scares me! I was inside a public hospital twice in the last 10 years, both times to help remove injured friends and take them to a private clinic. spent the night after my recent accident in a state hospital. they x-rayed nearly every part of me. the aging eastern euopean doctor who examined me declared i had a broken nose and sent me home hours later. a day later, after much discomfort, i went to the private hospital near my home?and then the list of injuries got longer and longer as the doctor picked up the stuff the first one missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastapouch Posted June 10, 2009 Share Just like grade 1 school kids thinking they can buy a Merc with R200. It took the UK (First world country with money) about 10 years to implement their system. Our government(third world country with less money and in a recession) promised their voters a NHI in 2011... I wonder where they plan to get the hundred billion rand (excluding bribes) to get this system up and running. Also from the 5% of the population paying tax? from that horrible colonialists , better known as the white man , who work and do not strike for every little reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sias Posted June 10, 2009 Share Hulle wil die privaat mediese dienste ook opv.k want dis nog al wat werk in die mediese w?reld in SA omdat wittes in beheer is. Alles wat hulle hulle hande op l? word totaal opgev.k.Hulle wil nou die universiteite ook "transformeer", veral die wit Afrikaanse universiteite wat nog standaarde het en nog inrternasionaal erken word. Volgens hulle is dit nie aanvaarbaar nie en moet die standaarde verlaag word deur transformasie - maw dit moet ook totaal opgev.k word... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konaman Posted June 11, 2009 Share I some times think its an inferiority complex that causes all these problems. For this system to work, you need very good state healthcare institutions because they will make up the bulk of the suppliers and the first line of treatment. People will probably have to go to their facilities first, sit and wait for 3hrs plus to be served, then if they cant help you, get authority from Pretoria to see another doctor ,and then you must hope and pray that the have "the best of 1950's" antibiotics in stock, or you will get nothing. This is going to be life!! Have a nice break from work when you are feeling ill and "hub" on your fancy cellphone while waiting for service. Hehehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted June 11, 2009 Share A bit off the subject but kinda still on health and safety. I heard this morning that a lady in Ruimsig received a bill from the fire department for being called out when her house burned down over the weekend. They did arrive 2 hours too because they were on strike but still demand to be payed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggavis Posted June 11, 2009 Share less than 4 million taxpayers can't support the masses of 40 million plus anymore..The middle class will eventually dissapear and become poorer as we have to foot the bill for everything..50 years from now i'll probably be dead, but SA will be like every other african country.. Yes you!, who are reading this post is footing the bill for than f*cking ML Merc that was stolen from that MP, that wasn't insured! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porky Posted June 11, 2009 Share less than 4 million taxpayers can't support the masses of 40 million plus anymore..The middle class will eventually dissapear and become poorer as we have to foot the bill for everything..50 years from now i'll probably be dead' date=' but SA will be like every other african country.. [/quote'] Unfortunately you are right. We will have a seriously top heavy situation where those who are working and contributing, will be covering medical expenses of those who are not employed, and with our very high unemployment rate, this is obviously not sustainable. Plus, those who do work and could be considered say Middle class and upwards may still be forced to pay for private medical funding simply because they dont want to go to a public or state facility for whatever reason. I think the idea is noble and desperately needed, however it sounds like its just a public friendly proposal at present, makes everyone feel warm and cozy that the government is doing something for you, if or when it comes to reality is another story entirely. By the way, someone mentioned the British health system, well this system is in serious difficulty for very much the same reason, too few paying (tax) and too many claiming (benefits), coupled with poor administration and doctors morale, the NHS has now pretty much collapsed. I was forced to use the system in August last year on a business trip when I got a serious middle ear infection, even though I had medical insurance, I had to wait over 4 hours in a grubby run down facility to see a semi interested doctor who could hardly say good morning.! Our public health is not good I agree, but its not that far behind the now present British situation in my experience. porky2009-06-11 01:13:45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted June 11, 2009 Share The middle class will eventually dissapear and become poorer can someone explain where lower-class end and middle-class begins? Salary wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog_ Posted June 11, 2009 Share spent the night after my recent accident in a state hospital. they x-rayed nearly every part of me. the aging eastern euopean doctor who examined me declared i had a broken nose and sent me home hours later. a day later' date=' after much discomfort, i went to the private hospital near my home?and then the list of injuries got longer and longer as the doctor picked up the stuff the first one missed.[/quote'] Well, the flip side: Last time when I dislocated my shoulder I ended up at the Morningside Medi Clinic. Guys did one xray from the front where you could not see the dislocation, so the doctor sent me home with a few pain pills and a diagnosis for a sprained AC Joint. The specialist I saw the next day almost blew a fuse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilipV Posted June 11, 2009 Share This probably will never leave the ground, and the Medical aid industry is too big to allow the government to close them down. Just make sure you have proper medical aid when/if this system is integrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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