The Health Insurance industry of South Africa is one of the most lucrative in the entire African continent. Typically, one of the policies and insurance providers in the area is the government financed system referred to as the National Health Insurance. The coverage of the NHI or the National Health Insurance is applicable for all the citizens of the country. Healthcare essentials for each and every person are covered to the stated value of the disease, and this is applicable for everyone regardless of their employment status and their ability to contribute to NHI.
The Need for Insurance in the Country
South Africans understand the need for healthcare, and this is a principle that has been accepted in the global market. It is the right of every person, regardless of their current status to have the complete healthcare. The South African government understand they are the very institution that has to provide this service to the people. While it has certainly provided the necessary means for the people to have perfect healthcare, there are still plenty of challenges that have to be met and worked with.
The Principles Applied to the NHI
Right to access is one of the main principles applied for the use of the NHI. Constitution wise, the Bill of Rights indicates that access to health care is crucial to every citizen. Social Solidarity is also the second most important principle for the NHI, and this is considered as the financial risk protector for both the rich and the poor. Systematic is a process used in the NHI that ensures everyone will have the quick realisation of the rights of every person who happens to be sick.
Appropriateness and Equity are two additional attributes applied in the creation of the NHI. The former is the adoption of the health service model that adheres to the needs of the locals. In fact, most of the health services that are offered via this system are based on a structured system based on the Primary Health Care models. The latter principle, Equity, is the reference to access to all people to have timely access to health care. Hence, whether one is rich or poor, the idea is that everyone can use it effectively.
The Benefits Gained from the National Health Insurance
It is highly noted that the NHI will offer this comprehensive package that is both rational and fair for everyone. National Health Insurance coverage costs will be developed into the different arenas for primary health or medical services, district services for hospitals, regional hospitals, and others. Ideally, the benefits gained from the NHI included the dissection of the hospital system into several groupings, which are considered as the elements needed to detect proper improvement of its management.
District hospitals are the smallest facilities that will be able to provide the best medical services. Package benefits include the coverage of emergency and in-hospital care, laboratory, paediatric care, and out-patient services. Other classifications for hospital care include, regional hospitals, tertiary hospitals, central medical hospitals and specialized hospital facilities. Under the NHI, it is understood that every hospital will have specific limits of coverage.