Mail & Guardian National Health Insurance

By Taahir Hoorzook https://www.mg.co.za

Wed Oct 3, 08:30 - Wed Oct 3, 12:30

Glenhove Conference Centre, Johannesburg, 2196

ABOUT

On 21 June 2018, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa's Health Minister, presented two Bills – National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill and the Medical Aid Schemes Amendment Bill. These will pave the way for the implementation of the NHI by 2026.

What is NHI?

NHI is government’s policy for introducing universal healthcare and will be run as a non-profit public entity. It will be like a giant state-run medical aid and will pay for all state and private health care in the country, including private specialists and hospitals. It is a health financing system that pools funds to provide access to quality health services for all South African citizens and long-term residents, based on their health needs and irrespective of their socio-economic status.

There are now tremendous uncertainties, confusion and contentious debate on how the massive reconfiguration of the country’s healthcare system will be achieved.
  • What will happen to medical aid schemes?
  • What are the implications on the various stakeholders?
  • What will this mean for health cover for South African employers and employees?
  • What are the practical details and necessary structures to implement an overhaul of the current healthcare system?
  • How to tackle the challenges, manage the risks and overcome barriers that lie ahead to ensure a successful NHI in the future?
Mail & Guardian (M&G) will host a half-day forum, bringing government, private and public healthcare sector, professionals, consultants, academia and civil society to come together to engage and debate on NHI. The objectives are to identify ways and find solutions to ensure the success of what is South Africa’s biggest healthcare reform system.

For more information, to book seat/s and/or enquire for group discount , email [email protected] or [email protected] or call 011 250 7300


 

DISCUSSION

Discussion will cover critical issues, challenges and how to drive the success of NHI
  • Overview and update on NHI
  • Collaboration/public private partnership between private and public healthcare providers
  • Pricing and implications on medical practitioners/healthcare professionals – doctors and specialists
  • Impact on brokers and financial managers
  • Abolishment of co-payments - is it realistic?
  • New role, consolidation and repositioning of medical aid schemes
  • Governance, leadership and bureaucracy
  • Cost and funding model
  • State of current public health system, management and administration - need to be fixed first
  • Accreditation - how will it work
  • Peoples’ rights to private healthcare
  • Legislations that need to change and legal issues 
  • Lessons from other countries - UK and Australia

SPEAKERS

Confirmed speakers to date:
  • Dr Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General, SA National Health Insurance, SA National Department of Health
  • Dr Katlego Mothudi, Managing Director, Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa (BHF)
  • Dr Sipho Kabane, Acting Chief Executive and Registrar, Council for Medical Schemes (CMS)
  • Prof Roseanne Harris, Senior Policy Actuary, Discovery Health
  • Jeremy Yatt, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer, Fedhealth
  • Jill Larkan, Head – Healthcare, GTC Healthcare
  • Dr Guni Goolab, Principal Officer, Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)
  • Dr Brian Ruff, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PPO Serve
  • Marije Versteeg - Mojanaga, Director, Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) 
  • Dr Vuzumuzi Nhlapho, General Manager, The South African Medical Association (SAMA)
  • Prof Sam Mokgokong, Steve Biko Hospital
  • Prof Laetitia Rispel, Professor of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand and President, World Federation of Public Health Association
  • Neil Kirby, Director and Head, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Werksmans Attorneys
Event will be moderated by Michael Avery, Anchor, Classic Business, Classic FM

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Stakeholders implicated/target audience include
  • Medical aid schemes 
  • Medical profession - doctors and specialists
  • Healthcare providers - private and public hospitals
  • Pharmaceutical companies
  • Insurance providers 
  • Brokers, benefit and financial wellness managers 
  • Investment companies interested in healthcare
  • Healthcare consultancies
  • Government
  • Civil societies, NGOs, consumer groups
  • Institutes, Associations, Councils
  • Academia, Researchers
  • Political parties
  • Businesses from across sectors - employers
  • Individuals - consumers

SPONSOR

Kindly contact below for event sponsorship and M&G special supplement (print and digital):

Denise Sewchurn
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 27 11 250 7300

 

AGENDA

Keynote address
Overview and update on National Health Insurance
Dr Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General, National Health Insurance, National Department of Health
                                     
Strategic dialogue
Challenges and future of medical schemes, co-payments and broker
  • New role, structure and repositioning of medical aid schemes
  • Sustainability and consolidation of schemes to strengthen the pooling of risk
  • What could be the options to make schemes affordable?
  • Impact on membership coverage and funding obligations
  • Abolishment of co-payments – is it realistic?
  • Brokers - implications and future
  • What will this mean for health cover for employers and employees?
  • Lessons learned from other countries
Dialogue with panelist speakers
- Dr Katlego Mothudi, Managing Director, Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa (BHF)
- Dr Sipho Kabane, Acting Chief Executive and Registrar, Council for Medical Schemes (CMS)
- Roseanne Harris, Senior Policy Actuary, Discovery Health
- Jeremy Yatt, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer, Fedhealth
- Jill Larkan, Head – Healthcare, GTC Healthcare
- Dr Guni Goolab, Principal Officer, Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)

 
 
Strategic Dialogue
Private and public healthcare collaboration to ensure quality healthcare

  • Private sector - new role and strategies for successful healthcare reform
  • Pricing - planned tariff caps, implications on doctors and specialists
  • Single public purchaser of healthcare services, medicines, health goods and health-related products from certified, accredited and contracted public and private healthcare providers – is this realistic?
  • Accreditation by Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) – pros and cons
  • Funding models
  • Fixing the current state of public health system – challenges, remedies and public private partnership
  • Measures to strengthen the governance and improving the administration of public healthcare
  • Peoples’ rights to private healthcare
  • Potential risks and legal implications
  • New healthcare landscape – how will this look like?
Dialogue with panelist speakers
- Dr Brian Ruff, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PPO Serve
- Marije Versteeg-Mojanaga, Director, Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) 
- Dr Vuzumuzi Nhlapho, South African Medical Association (SAMA)
- Prof Sam Mokgokong, Steve Biko Hospital
- Prof Laetitia Rispel, Professor of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand and President, World Federation of Public Health Association
- Neil Kirby, Director and Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Werksmans Attorneys

 

DIRECTIONS

Mail & Guardian National Health Insurance
Glenhove Conference Centre, Johannesburg, 2196
52 Glenhove Rd, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa
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