National Health Insurance

SAMED supports universal health coverage and the provision of quality healthcare for all – and innovative medical technology plays a vital role in improving health outcomes. It is SAMED’s aim to ensure that universal healthcare takes account of the value of medical technology, sustains the industry and opens further opportunity within the field as a strategic pillar of South Africa’s social and economic advancement.

SAMED supports a workable NHI as a means to transform and upgrade the fragmented health system and manage inequities in both private and public healthcare sectors. A well-formulated NHI system can assist SA to advance universality, social solidarity and an equitable patient-centred system that does not discriminate along economic lines.

NHI is too important to fail. Unsuccessful or not fit-for-purpose interventions will delay the attainment of UHC goals. By staying engaged and providing submissions on all policy making on NHI, SAMED is striving to help government avoid negative consequences for patients and the economy.

We have closely followed the process of national health insurance (NHI) policymaking since the outset. 

Led by its NHI committee, SAMED has recommended changes regarding the procurement, reimbursement, use of medical technologies and access to innovation. Our inputs have also addressed other critical elements, such as governance, accreditation, financing, the determination of the benefits packages and freedom of choice for both healthcare practitioners and patients.

SAMED’s 10-point position on the National Health Insurance (NHI) System

SAMED’s 10-point position on NHI applies a medtech lens to the NHI Act to draw out progressive, practical and implementable recommendations for how the NHI system should be built in order to ensure appropriate, safe, quality medtech is available to all South Africans where and when they need them. Medtech includes 300,000+ medical devices and in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) that are in use in South Africa today and which are indispensable for healthcare service delivery.

1. SAMED supports universal healthcare and a functional NHI system as the vehicle to achieve universality
2. An appropriate and efficient purchasing and procurement framework for medtech is a must-have
3. Policy should provide for an independent HTA (health technology assessment process/agency)
4. Value-based procurement rather than the lowest possible price negotiable yields better outcomes
5. Timeous and accurate payment for medtech and related services requires adequate administration
6. SAMED supports the right of choice and a multi-payer reimbursement method
7. New/increased taxes should not be used to finance NHI to avoid further socio-economic disparity
8. NHI implementation should be milestone- and not time-based
9. Consultative and inclusive policy formation will strengthen and progress NHI
10. Strong governance framework for the NHI should align with King IV and other best practices

The journey, however, does not end here, and we continue to collaborate with all relevant role-players. In this regard, we have recently finalised a SAMED position on NHI and submitted comments on the recently published draft NHI governance regulations.