Public insurance in South Africa National health insurance (NHI) National health insurance program is a government proposed financing scheme which is being implemented in South Africa which is concerned to make sure all citizens are provided with essential healthcare regardless of their employment status and eliminate the discrepancies within the healthcare in South Africa. Major crisis in South Africa in healthcare system is unequal access to health facilities amongst different socio-economic groups, and this is because of discrepancy of money spent in the private sector than the public sector. National Health Insurance has improved the accessibility to quality health services and reduced the financial problems or expenditure for the population. …show more content…
Because the NHI expects to give free social insurance to all South Africans, the new framework is relied upon to bring an end to the financial burden facing public sector patients. NHI plan to provide all the citizens with access to definite package of comprehensive health services. Although, NHI service cannot provide every medical treatment it offers services at all levels, particularly for primary healthcare. This package excludes any cosmetic surgeries (botox, liposuction, face lifts, etc.), dental procedures, expensive eye care devices, medications not included in National Essential Drug list and extensive diagnostic procedures. The benefits provided will cover preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services. It is important to note that emphasis will be placed on prevention of disease and promotion of health. The present healthcare system places undue focus on curing of disease and performance of procedures when people have developed complications. Overall, South Africa recognized that this National Health Insurance is a key to long term development of their economy as protecting its citizens from expenses they had to pay for illness or injury it keeps them physically, …show more content…
These benefit packages describes different kinds of services offered under a specific category and are organized under different levels of public care services. These benefit packages are also useful in identifying the barriers in achieving the equity and accessibility and thus intervene these barriers by programming definitive strategies for the promotion of the comprehensive distribution of the health service programs. These definitive strategies include financial resourcing, measures for improved accessibility, timely referrals or feedbacks from the patients at different health facilities. With the standards which are set up based on these benefit packages, National Department of Health could be able to measure the targets of the program and compare the performance of different levels of care within facilities like provincial, district, national
Universal health insurance is available to everybody with an option to purchase private insurance coverage (The U.S. Health Care System: An International Perspective, 2014). Approximately 90% of the population uses the national system in which premiums are income based. The system uses 240 private insurers for a non-profit, competitive system. Insurance costs are significantly less than the U.S. due to cost negotiations for medical facilities, appointments, and prescription medications (Sick Around the World, 2008). B. United States Healthcare System Healthcare in the U.S. has recently been affected by implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010.
Canada’s health care system is one of the top in the world; due to the federal legislation for publicly funded health care insurance. Requiring provinces and territories to follow certain conditions and guidelines to maintain universal health care, which is known as the Canada Health Act passed in 1984. There are five main principles within the Canada Health Act; public administrations, comprehensiveness, universality, accessibility, and portability. Moreover there are three aspects within the principles, equity, access and undeserved. Several marginalized populations do not receive the adequate health care even though the Canada Health Act is in place to help “protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of
Despite the established health care facilities in the United States, most citizens do not have access to proper medical care. We must appreciate from the very onset that a healthy and strong nation must have a proper health care system. Such a health system should be available and affordable to all. The cost of health services is high. In fact, the ...
As firmly stated by Ordoñez Ramírez, reevaluation of the list of diseases covered by the Popular Insurance Program is a crucial step towards not only helping relieve poverty and exorbitant prices for medical treatment, but decreasing the death toll due to inaccessible or inadequate medical treatment. However, in conjunction to re...
Healthcare systems are put in place so that they can meet and satisfy the healthcare needs of a people within a geographical area. They have the mandate to deliver healthcare services to the intended group or population and ensure fair...
As a nation, we all will agree that health equity, promotion, disease prevention should be available in all levels of the health care system. In other to achieve health equity and improve the life and health of all groups, disparities must be eliminated. Healthcare must be affordable across the board, disparities eliminated in other for this goal to be achieved. Some of factors affecting health equity include socioeconomic status and low literacy of certain group of the population. Unequal treatment and discrimina...
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Among the 17 goals the third goal is to achieve good health and well-being (UNDP). To achieve this goal, it is definitely known that passing the obstacles available in the overall activities performed to bring about health and well-being. The third goal in its sub goal gives attention on achieving universal health coverage which is an ongoing process for every country as they work to ensure that all people receive the health services they need without experiencing financial hardship. How these financial hardships can be minimized?
To ensure good quality and coverage of health services, facilities can conduct self-assessment by analyzing and comparing the actual activities against plans made and targets. The analysis of quality of health services refers to quality of the best possibility treatment patients/clients receive. This requires the reference to the protocol and guidelines for standardized treatment. For example, the proportion of children under one get the correct vaccines at the right intervals. The analysis of coverage suggests the number of patients/clients receive a particular services compared to those who should have received it. For example, how many children under 1 year old are immunized?
National health systems are assessed by the extent to which expenditure and actions in public health and medical care contributes to the crucial social goals of improving health, increasing access to quality healthcare, reducing health disparities, protecting citizens from penury due to medical e...
Access to health care refers to the ease with which an individual can obtain needed medical services. Many Americans face barriers that make it difficult to obtain basic health care services. These barriers to services include lack of availability, high cost, and lack of insurance coverage. "Limited access to health care impacts people's ability to reach their full potential, negatively affecting their quality of life." (Access to Health Services, 2014) Access to health services encompasses four components that include coverage, services, timeliness, and workforce
This paper will discuss why the current health care system is in turmoil and analyze two contributing factors to said turmoil. While analyzing the contributing factors, this paper will describe, in detail, how these factors impact consumers and the community. Finally, this paper will touch on the benefits of national health insurance and some of the risk factors that accompany it, as well.
In many parts of the world that are considered lower or middle-class countries, health disparities are cause of major concern that leads to unnecessary disease and possible death. Many variables affect how and why many citizens of lower and middle-class countries struggle to obtain adequate healthcare. One region of the world classified as a lower socio economic territory is Ethiopia. Many factors contribute to the lack of health care in Ethiopia such as access to care, high cost of care, and being uneducated, to name a few. One idea that hinders many citizens in Ethiopia to attain healthcare is the access to the healthcare system. This research project will entail the issue of access to the health care system; ways it is affecting the lives of those living in Ethiopia, and measures that can be taken to possibly increase the availability and attainment of healthcare.
Barton, P.L. (2010). Understanding the U.S. health services system. (4th ed). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Being able to access health care is a reflection of one’s knowledge of the range of health care available, how accessible and how affordable that health care is. Being aware of the level of access to health care that an individual has, will determine their participation in the health care system as well as the management of their own health. Equity in terms of healthcare refers to equal opportunities for all individuals to have access to varied healthcare options, regardless of their economic, social and educational background. Meeting the demands of the most disadvantaged in the community should be of prime consideration when planning and implementing accessible health care. Inclusive of this is the availability and affordability of allied health care to those without PHI.
According to Roy, 2013 the issues of providing the affordable care act will unite both the supporters and offenders of the public policy, but in this current situation where the input costs are rising, it will become impossible for government in managing the public policy related to affordable health care. In order to provide affordable health care, majority of the US government has tried out different policies time to time, but unable to get success in realizing the actual policy goals. By providing the affordable health care to majority of the people who requires more amount as controlling the input cost is not possible (AAMC, 2013). Lack of doctors is one of the primary issue in providing high quality health care to the citizens especially those who are financially poor. The Supreme Court of the country passed an Act related to Health insurance as all should have Health Insurance to all the country people by the year 2014, but the at the same time government is concerned about constitutionality of these act (NYTimes, 2013).