Parks Tau on Wednesday night dismissed criticism of the proposed R200 billion National Health Insurance ( NHI ) as resistance by private healthcare users, who he said were effectively subsidised by the state.
Tau made the comments while representing the ANC at a national election debate hosted by the Mail Guardian and the University of Fort Hare in a week in which Health Minister Joe Phaahla confirmed, in a written parliamentary reply, that medical aid tax credits would be revoked to fund the NHI.
Tau, who is the deputy minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, reiterated the ANCs stance that a single-fund system will follow if President Cyril Ramaphosa signs the NHI Bill, which parliament passed in December. The legislation, he said, aims to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare.
Clause 49 of the bill envisions tax amendments to be gazetted by the finance minister to finance the insurance schemes single fund, which the treasury says will need about R200 billion to run.
Tau said the country had a two-tier healthcare system public and private and the former was strained while the latter was more developed.
But what they [critics
